Sisters For Life
by linkinparkfan9799
Summary: Lucy was lost at thirteen, but adopted by the nice Manitou family. When her sister, Jade, died, four years later: Lucy and the others travel to the same town of Keokuk to find a surprise. Lucy must do all she can to learn the truth and stop the lab forever.
1. First Things First

**I do not own Elfen Lied, plain and simple.**

_First Things First_

Am I a Diclonius? Yes, of course. My name is Lucy, and today's a day I choose to regret. It's a week from Christmas, which is the day someone dear to me died, but only that association knows that, and I doubt they'd bother to remember. Well, I stuck it at the back of my mind for these years, always having some form of nightmares about that horrible occurrence. It happened soon after I had that predicament with Kota, but of course, I hated _humans. _That someone dear to me, they were never human. They were like a Diclonius, not exactly, only worse. They were a vampire-like creature categorized as: 'Gem Blossoms'. It doesn't sound threatening, but trust me; it's just the irony that counts for them.

I was upset, I was confused, and I was, if anything, angry with humans and their utterly _pathetic _fallacies of life as we know it. They always, in my opinion back then, blathered about all the messed up SH*T in their lives, not really asking if anyone else had any problems. Nope, they just thought about themselves. At one point of my travels, I ended up at a nice, peaceful town known as 'Keokuk'. For some reason, I felt more tranquil as I neared the area, so I thought that if I could stay for a few days, I might be able to think straight for the first time since I last saw Kota. I trudged down the skinny sand path, rocks hopping around my feet to greet me. I stared up at the clouds that day, envying how free they are, past and present to be truthful. I stumbled over a tiny animal, seeing it was a small white puppy with brown splotches over its eyes and stomach. I knelt down that day to look closer, but he/she just yelped, a bit startled. I wouldn't blame it. How often would you see a girl, twelve approximately, with dust, dirt, and mud all over some worn out school uniform with a white, short-sleeved, collared shirt and small navy skirt, and her skin practically covered with soot? I offered it my hand, allowing it to close its jaws lightly over the small, nimble fingers and albino palm. It didn't bite down and tear my hand off, no, it just unclamped after a few seconds and presto he leapt into my arms and started to lick my face. I knew I couldn't keep it, no matter how much I wanted to. So, while I had him, I cuddled him close to my small torso and trudged on. As dawn broke, so did the rain storm that was apparently aggravated by merely my presence. I was hurt slightly, but the light of a flashlight made me more scared than any other emotion. I didn't want to kill right now, not these people who made such a nice little town. A girl with unnatural green hair came out of the shadows, carrying two umbrellas. Her liquid jade eyes bore into my crimson ones, and her skin was albino, her little green T much like the one Kota had and her medium jeans, when it was obvious she needed a small, sagged over jade sneakers. Her ponytail was held up by a metal snake figurine that coiled around the tail upwards, the hair drooping back after 2 inches of upright positioning at the origin of her hair at the back of the top. She carried a little sand wood fan, two little pink and white flowers carefully painted in the middle once unfolded, leaves scattering at their bottoms. She appeared like she was nervous, nervous as in I'm-dead nervous. I tried to smile, but I was feeling the exact same way.

"H-Hello," she greeted. "W-who are you?" I bit my lip firmly. She had a small, soft voice that was practically wind. She looked down and shifted her feet a bit, one set of toes above the other. "I-It's okay if you don't want to tell me. M-Most people don't in actuality." She offered me a small hand, 3 inch long and bony fingers turned up along with a smooth palm. "Y-You look like you haven't eaten in days. W-Why don't y-y-you come into town and we can come to my house?"

I noticed that every sentence, she would stutter at least at the beginning. I stared at the hand like it was foreign, which it was. A kind hand was something I was not familiar with those days. I felt the dog shivering and, without regret, slipped my hand into hers. We walked for about fifteen minutes before we finally found town lights. Children were staring out the window, waving at me, but sticking out their tongues at the girl. Why was that? At that time, I had no clue. All I really knew was that it was rude, and she probably didn't deserve it much. Maybe a snap or two, or ten, but she looked like she'd never hurt a cat (well, she was obviously stronger than those fly, fish, and bunny stages). In between two one-story houses, there was a three-story house, the porch lights lit and tiny steps leading up to the door. A small rocking chair that looked like it could fit three kindergarteners if they sat on each others' laps. It was dark oak wood, the object slightly swaying with the random gusts of wind. The boards were light blue; the cement walls the same shade. The roof was a brilliant navy, like my skirt, and the window frames were white covered in actual vines. The door had a screen, then the actual door behind it. She gently tugged me up the steps and softly tapped the door with her single left index finger. I heard latches switched open, chains pulled away, keys shoving themselves into locks and yanking out after a firm twist, and the heaving of the door as the knob would barely turn. The man behind the screen looked far from mean and gruff like I thought.

His black bob of hair was messed up and everywhere, his long-sleeved workers shirt unbuttoned by three at the top. His kakis were tight around a regular waist, his tone more tan than white. His hardened jade eyes were shielded behind jade brimmed glasses, which had 'I 3 DADDY' on the side. Long, tensed fingers wrapped around the handle, and he fought to open the screen. He shook his head at us and cleared a path for us to get in. The dog barked and shifted a bit, ending up tighter against my chest. A little boy came out and wrapped his tiny tan arms around my shins, surprising me, but I kept my vectors in (those who don't know: Vectors- Invisible arms on a Diclonius that vary in number and length).

"Mama, we have a guest!" the little boy cheered.

Both the girl and I stared at the little boy, both of us just as confused as the other. We exchanged glances and looked up to the man, which I could hardly assume was the girl's father. He simply shrugged and trudged into some sort of office, papers scattered across the numerous desks, one tiny desk with drawings on top catching my attention. Pieces of homework for about my grade were everywhere on there, except for hanging off the corners. A tiny lamp hung from the ceiling, illuminating that desk. A picture of six happy people, one woman with croppy black hair, a kind smile, two pools of teal orbs, a long, lay-back posture, and a yellow summer dress that had a small imprint of a rose at the bottom right corner of the front. Then there was the man who allowed us in, the small, black-haired boy with the woman's pale skin, not quite albino, with smiling grass eyes and tiny, two-piece pajamas colored sky-blue. There was a teen, maybe seventeen, with ear piercings, long black hair, a thin, tall posture, an off-the-shoulder shirt with sleeves that stretched to the wrists colored lavender, tan skin, deep jeans, frigid ice blue eyes, and black and purple sneakers matching well with her nasty smirk worthy of the Evil Queen. Another boy, possibly fourteen, which was probably seven-years-older than the one that was clinging to my legs, stood tall and proud, the tan skin of the man, the hard grass eyes hidden under jade brimmed glasses that read 'I 3 BROTHER' on the side much like the man's, the forest green coat only showing the bottom cuffs of the black pants, and the warm, welcoming smile he carried making the rain feel like it was sizzling into nothing. He seemed like he was a panacea, but I knew he was just a human, I could tell. Just looking at him made me put: Try to talk myself out of hating humans on my to-do list. Then, there was the girl. She looked exactly the same; save the shirt color was then rosy pink and the shoes crimson. I faced the girl, raising a curious brow. She tried to smile, but she was just too fragile apparently.

"T-That's my family," she whispered her answer. "T-The man's the dad, the woman's my mom, the girl with the black-hair is my older sister, Mabel, the boy clinging to y-your shins is Chi, t-the other boy is my older by two years brother, Junco, a-and the girl at the far right is me, Jade Manitou."

I stared at the picture for a bit. They looked like a pleasant family, but why this 'Jade' was the only one without black-hair was a mystery. I knew she wasn't my race, since I had horns, she didn't. Quick fact: my horns were beaten and shot off, so they're actually healing bone nubs at the moment; the bright side is that they're easier to hide. 'Jade' kept staring at 'Chi', not daring to speak up. The father, Mr. Manitou, walked out of the office and stared at the boy as well, only my gaze on the picture. Chi was too busy having his eyes squeezed shut with happiness to notice the deathly silence around him. Footsteps came from the stairs and we all turned to see 'Mabel', a cigarette pinched between her right middle and index finger, smoke sizzling out from the other end opposite of her mouth. She seemed sixteen, now that I had a clearer view; far too young to be smoking and ruining her respiratory system just yet. Chi scrambled off and clung to 'Jade's leg in fright towards this 'Mabel'.

"Mabel," 'Mr. Manitou' sighed, "we have a guest, so discard the cigarette in the usual pot and _be nice_."

He was saying it as if she kicked puppies in front of orphans. Reminding myself that I was one, I tightened my hold on the small puppy, hoping to prevent another dog's death. She rolled her eyes and flicked it away, storming back up. Chi picked up the cigarette from off the ground and handed it to Mr. Manitou. Mr. Manitou sighed and stuck the sizzling end in a pot of ash on the table, his right hand massaging both temples. I could tell it was a strain for him to keep Mabel under control, and that scared me even more. The scent of Jade's sand wood fan allowed me to ease up, my back straightening as I realized how sore it was from slouching all that time. Mr. Manitou dragged his body upstairs, his head in his hands. Chi followed short behind, being the small child he was, and left Jade and I completely alone. I set the dog down at my feet and it curled up into a tiny, fatigue ball of white and splotchy brown fur. I stared at it, but then realized something; Jade was carrying two umbrellas, and she was out in the middle of a _storm_. Was she looking for something? I faced her, only to see her staring at one umbrella with an oak handle and sky-blue canvas. The other was teak handled with a forest green canvas, a single rose sewn close to the middle while vines sprawled about, crazy and free. She caught me staring out of the corner of her jade eye and looked up, placid.

"I-I was looking for someone to give the umbrella to," she explained, seeming to know my thoughts of curiosity. "P-People often wander and end up needing one, so I thought I might donate my old one." I sighed. Could she not stop stuttering? "I-Is something wrong…o-oh, I never got your name."

I stared at her. I didn't want to talk, but she was just so nice and shy, might as well. "Lucy," I mumbled. "I'm just wondering what the stuttering is for."

She blinked, apparently registering what I had just spoken. She stared at her feet and started putting one pair of toes over the other, her arms tight behind her back, her hands clutching together and drooping down her back. "I-I always stutter at the beginning of sentences. I-It helps me rethink what I say so I don't screw anything up."

I furrow my brows. "Are you sure?" She nods and I look back at the tiny desk. "Are you in school?"

She nods. "S-Seventh grade isn't the best for most, but I enjoy the science I'm able to learn. A-Aren't you in seventh grade as well?"

I shake my head. "Not any more."

She sighs. "T-That has to suck…A-Are you staying here? D-Do you have any family members we could contact?"

I winced. At least she didn't suddenly assume I had a family like most would. I hold up one finger and shrug. I pull up a second and shake my head. She understands and walks over to an umbrella holder, depositing the two umbrellas in. Oddly enough, she never opened hers. Maybe the rain wasn't as bad as she would use it for. We were both drenched head to toe, neither shivering. She offered me her right hand once again, causing me to scoop up the puppy and accept it once more, allowing her to tug me up to the bathroom. She tugged out a timer from a teak cabinet, twisted it, and set it on the counter.

"T-That's probably when dinner will be ready," she informs, shuffling out.

I simply blinked and listened to the muttering ticks of the timer. I started undressing and slipped into the water, cleaning as best as I could in under an hour, which dinner was yet to be ready even then. I stretched and started washing out my clothes, knowing I had the time for that, and quickly dried them until they felt like a soft, homemade quilt. I slipped them on once more and polished my shoes to keep from trailing water and dirt everywhere I went in the beautiful household. I felt at the navy cap I wore to hide my horns and made sure the horns weren't poking through to give hints. I nodded in satisfaction and scooped the little puppy into my arms and the timer in my right hand, since I thought Jade would know how to turn it off. I slid out, shutting the door quietly and gently, and turned to see Mabel, scowling at me.

"Who are you?" she demands.

I ignore her and side step, walking past. She growls in frustration and stomps after me, causing a louder ruckus than required. If she wanted to blame the noise on me, she could, as long as she did nothing to harm the family or the puppy fatally. I cautiously crawled down the stairs, clinging to the rail with the hand processing the timer. I hopped off the last step and checked both ways before turning left and checking the timer. Dinner was to be ready in a minute, so I needed to find Jade before the timer started bellowing and waking every house in China, not to say that's where I am and where I was then. I stared up at a sky-blue door and gently pushed it open, enraptured by the captivating scent of Ramen and Curry. The young woman, Mrs. Manitou, was stirring something in a bulky pot, steam lifting up into the air. A medium sky-blue summer dress was tight around her thin skeleton, along with her flesh. Her hair was shoulder length, not croppy like the picture, and she was taller than she seemed. She set the stirring spoon out aside the pot, turning and smiling at me, making me take a slight step back. She was _way _too nice in order to be able to raise Mabel. She spotted the timer in my hand and giggle, probably thinking that having a daughter my age, it wasn't hard to figure out what twelve-year-olds were thinking. She offered her right hand, and I gently set the timer into her hand. She simply yanked the timer to the finishing side, silencing it. She set it on the counter next to the stove with the pot, lifting up bowls and placing the noodles inside. With separate bowls, she dumped the Curry in, rice in third bowls. The scent made my stomach growl, which made me look down and scowl at it. The puppy barked making me realize my stomach woke it up. Mrs. Manitou giggled once more and set the table up. Mabel barged in, slamming my back with the edge of the door. I winced as the pain took a few seconds to settle. Mrs. Manitou frowned, a heart-retching sight.

"Now, Mabel," she huffed, "you can't just keep slamming doors into people's backs like that."

Her tone was serious, but she never raised her voice. Mabel rolled her eyes and groaned, annoyed. "I don't have X-Ray vision, _Mom_, what I do have is a sense of life!"

I was awful to hear a young woman, thirty-six at the least, being snapped at by some ungrateful teen. Well, my parents didn't really live long enough for me to actually do it, so, all things considered, it's rude. Next, Chi slammed the door into my back trying to get in first. I winced once more and Chi hugged his mother's calves, making me lighten up. I stepped out of the way and smiled proudly at myself, only to be smacked in the face by the edge when Mr. Manitou walked in, tired and sagging his weight around as if he was carrying a Humpback Whale on his shoulders. I made a little side-step to avoid anymore door damage and Jane's older brother, Junco, strolled in, smiling and waving at me before sitting on his father's right. I peered out the door and a soft tap sounded. I moved for the knob, but Mabel's cold stare bore into me.

"Don't let her in," Mabel spat.

"Mabel, she's-"Chi began.

"Don't say she's human because she isn't!" Mabel roared at little Chi.

So I was right. She wasn't human, but she wasn't like me. I felt my face grow hot, my blood coming to a boil. These were good people for taking me in for a bit, but that girl was just cruel and rude. I hugged the puppy against my chest and the soft tap rang again. I clutched the knob and flicked my wrist, pulling the edge of the door out of the frame and Jade trudged in, nervous looking. Mabel groaned and slammed her head on the table, peeved that I chose to let Jade in. Jade nodded her head to thank me and offered me her left hand, so I took it. She lightly tugged me over to two vacant seats, allowing me to sit in the one farthest from Mabel. I set the puppy in my lap and Mrs. Manitou set down the plates, Jade and I sneaking some rice and noodles to the puppy. We ate our dinner slowly, not pigs like Mabel who swallowed it all up. It was a wonder how she was so thin. So, Chi finished second and grew bored, turning to me and seizing the opportunity to become a better listener.

"So, what your name?" he squeaks, everyone staring at him.

"Lucy," I answer.

Mabel's face grew red. "Why does she get to have a better name and I'm stuck with Mabel?" she mutters distastefully.

"Do you have-". Junco clamped a hand over his younger brother's mouth, nodding at Mr. Manitou.

Mr. Manitou set down his chopsticks and faced me, smiling. "Sorry about Chi, he's a bit of the chatter," he chuckles. "So, Lucy, is that your puppy?"

I look down at the adorable ball of fluff and oh-so-badly wanted to say yes, but I knew I had to do the right thing, despite the fact I killed people at times, I didn't want to be dishonest and even more D*MMED. I shook my head. "I found him on the path outside of town, and nobody was around. He looked hungry, so I figured his owners must've either been cruel, forgetful, or weren't there."

He smiles. "Is that why you were headed here? You wanted to find a place to drop off the puppy?"

I wobble my head to the sides like a bobble head after a few seconds. "I came here to Keokuk to stay for a while, but that might be hard, considering the fact that I'm just twelve."

Jade blinked and set down her chopsticks, finished. She stared at her father with pleading eyes and he shrugged. She slightly curled her one corner of her lips up, the other down. I guess she wanted to know if I could stay with them. Junco grew an evil grin, which made both Jade and I smile. Junco set down his chopsticks, also done, and faced his parents.

"Why don't we disown Mabel and adopt Lucy?" he suggested.

"Yes please!" Mabel begged.

Mr. Manitou pondered long and hard. I wasn't really surprised he was considering it, since Mabel, by the looks of it, had never been good news. Yet, if she wasn't in the family, she could attack them at any time she so desired. Jade and I wriggled out noses and saw the clock against the wall read 8:36P.M., which was pretty late for some twelve-year-olds. Mrs. Manitou set down her chopsticks and smiled at the table, excluding Mabel, which she just sent her a stare.

"Well, the mister and I will discuss it while you children go to sleep now," she giggled, standing up to clean her bows and chopsticks for some odd reason, considering they were plain wood.

Jade and I rinsed off ours as well, both of us thinking the same thing and excluding the chopsticks. The puppy hung on my shoulder as I followed Jade upstairs to the last floor. The third floor was, in actuality, the attic, but they morphed it into her little floor. The walls were pale rosy pink, her bed sheets white and splattered with pink dye. The floor was dark oak wood, the fan above our heads the same, slowly rotating counterclockwise. A dresser was large and almost three quarters of the back wall, the other part a window with rosy curtains overlapping it. A tall mirror that stretched to the 8' ceiling shimmered in the dim light of the lamps, some form of mattress on the floor in front of the bed already pushed up against the right back corner of the room. The two objects covered that wall alone, the mini bed comfortable looking and tempting. Jade chuckled when I realized I was drooling, so I licked the saliva away. Jade gestured for the larger bed while she took the larger. Yep, she was way too nice.

A week later, after I grew accustomed to the house, the puppy taken to an Animal Shelter, and Mabel sent to an orphanage, Jade decided it'd be good to take me to school to continue learning. I never told her about my horns, or the fact that I was a Diclonius, but I never could get the courage gathered up and say it. I guess I didn't want to make the nicest people in the world hate me, a _monster_. Jade tried several times to tell me something, but she always got intercepted with something: homework, Chi, or the nosy neighbors, the Honshu's and the Nandi's. So, as we walked to the middle school, Jade looked anxiously over her shoulder periodically, probably trying to see if we were alone. As we neared the door, the anxiety grew into a morsel of fear. I felt bad for her, since she always seemed to try and hide herself, but not from her family, including me, excluding Mabel, who was her own flesh and blood. The anxiety was starting to make me wonder. Didn't she like school? Yet, a memory of three boys flashed into mind. The three boys, those three that killed my first puppy because they thought it was funny. Were similar people there to? The anxiety proved it. She wanted to skip that day of school is for sure, keep me hidden. I understand she wanted to keep me safe, that she didn't know how well I could defend myself, but there was something else in there I couldn't quite name then…something pitiful and sad. When we reached the steps, I couldn't take her silence anymore, and I was the quiet type back then, so that's saying something. I turned to her, furrowing my brows as usual.

"What's with the growing anxiety?" I sigh, knowing that I had to ask before I exploded.

She stopped and turned to me. "This school…well…some people are a bit harsh…"

"How harsh can they be?" I gave a tiny smile, trying to lighten her up.

She curled the right corner of her lips up a bit, but what I noticed was a bit revealing even then; she never showed her teeth. I pushed the thought to my 'Clues for What Jade Is' section of my mind and both of us pushed open one of the doors pushed together the way school's usually have them. Gasps filled the hall, which made us freeze in our spots at the doorway. Boys and girls alike stared at us, what I thought to be staring at Jade. I looked at her and she looked at me. We looked forward and gradually walked in front of a locker with a jade dragon on the front. Jade worked the lock and the door popped open, revealing books, reading and text, several pencils and stacks of paper. There were four drawing pads, two journals, two tickets for what looked like lunch, and a few bottles of medication. All that made me examine the height and width of the locker, which revealed it to stretch from the floor to the ceiling; that was three yards there alone. The width was only two feet, and I realized the shelves were neatly organized, books the only exception. I stared at the covers to see various amounts of reading books the reason of clutter. Honestly, she could've opened up a small library. She requested the bag I carried and I handed it to her, allowing her to fill the bag with the required supplies. I turned around to watch her back, not wanting anything that happened to me happen to her. I caught her out of the corner of my eye sneaking in a reading book. I could read The Three Musketeers off the corner in that single moment she slid it in. She lifted up the two bags, the teal one hers and mine simple cream, and passed me the cream, flinging the left strap of hers over her right shoulder and slumped slightly. I turned to five boys; they were same age as those I had trouble with, except there were two more. It was unfair in my opinion, but what can I say? The world's unfair in ways. They smiled at me and rolled their eyes at Jade, staring at me.

"Hello," the first one greeted. "I'm Dacono. What about you?"

I look at Jade and she just stares at them with that longing to run. I side step, but he only follows in my movement. I take another and he repeats. I huff and take a step back, only granting him to take a step forward. I knew he wouldn't go away without an answer. I simply huffed and shut my eyes, clenching my fists to control my frustration towards him. "It's Lucy."

"Nice to meet you Lu," a second boy smiles. "I'm Iasi."

"I'm Kuroki," the third laughs.

"I'm Kukri," the fourth blurts.

"I'm Kanto," the last bows his head.

"So, Lucy," Dacono leans in a bit, making me lean out, "why you with Jade here?"

I blink, not sure I could answer that. I technically wasn't her sister yet because Mr. Manitou still had to sign the papers and I couldn't say I couldn't say I was her friend because, well, I didn't really know if I was. Jade was the first to speak, which shocked me a little. "G-Go away, Dacono, she's none of y-your business."

"Actually, I do believe he has the right to know," Kukri piped up.

"I have the right to not say anything," I snarled.

They all took a step back apparently registering I was NOT to be messed with. I straightened and followed Jade to the first period classroom. It was a bit cramped, but we managed with seats at the far back. Nobody sat near Jade, but some wanted to sit next to me, but couldn't with Jade there. I was glad I couldn't be visited by others, because the Manitou family was all I needed. Of course, that all had to disappear in some way.

It was a month into the school. Jade and I were eating lunch, reading our books. For some reason, I was still stuck on The Three Musketeers even after a month. The boys were eating in the alley next to the school, and several heavy-metal cars pulled up at the front. The students, not excluding Jade and I, all watched as men strolled to the cafeteria. Jade was confused, so she simply stood up with her food and I repeated, following her to the far corner of the room. We did not want to be bothered. They started whispering among the group, Jade pulling out her sand wood fan and folding it in and out and across, the blades sliding against one another. I watched with interest as I slowly ate my rice and suddenly, all grew quiet and dark. We looked up to see the men with some forms of restraints, and they were clasped over something. I raised a brow and felt my back being tugged; they had my vectors.

"Bring her in," a man with a lab coat barked at the others.

Two took my arms to not look completely suspicious and I kicked, writhing to try and get out. Jade stared at me with wide eyes, so I turned and looked at her. "I don't know what's going on! Honest!"

She looked down and stood, her face hidden with a few stray stands from her ponytail at the sides of her face. She clenched her fists, the fan firmly gripped in her right. The students started drifting to the sides, upturning tables to hide behind. My cap held onto my head tightly, like it should. I wanted to rip it off, just show her I was a Diclonius and not have to feel guilty about leaving her thinking I was human. I struggled and struggled, but I couldn't really break free. That's when I heard something I thought I never would hear.

"Let go of Lucy you PR*CKS," Jade snarled.

Everyone stopped to stare at her. Something in her arm pulsed, revealing a bright jade dragon mark under her skin. Her hair writhed like snakes, and then it stiffened and stuck together in the same ponytail. She snapped her head up; one eye was crimson and the other liquid jade. Replacing the two teeth on either side of the front teeth were fangs, sharp and wet with saliva. Her hands snapped so her fingers were arched, palm down, like monster claws. The nails formed into just that, and she took offensive positioning. She charged and a few tried to shoot her, but she was faster than anything I've ever seen. She ripped off one of their heads with her bare teeth, clawing off another. Her clothes were splattered with blood, but I didn't care. I listened to one of the men with the coats gasp.

"A Gem Blossom!" he exclaimed. "This is the source?" One nodded. "GET HER!"

They fought and shot to get her, but it was nearly impossible. She screamed and swung at all of them. She tore most of them down, but one shot her at the side. She was dazed, and that was long enough for her to get pinned. She thrashed under the weight, being restrained as much as possible. I was crying. She didn't deserve to be put in some research facility, if that's what they truly did, and have tests conducted on her. I screamed, my vectors bending the restraints and slaughtering the ones holding me. I kept screaming, my vectors flying. That's when I heard a car door slam, and opened my eyes to see Jade being forced in.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed.

They drove off, leaving me there. I ran out to try and catch up, but they were too fast. How did they find me? I thought about it. Mabel was the only answer I could find. I didn't kill her, only because I wanted her to suffer any possible guilt she kept inside. I couldn't find her until I was put in the facility, and a newly made human friend put into the hospital. I forgot completely about Jade, which makes feel awful even now, even though I was fifteen at capture. I was in my restraints, listening to the scientists to see if there was anything to just keep me thinking. My friend had died, and I just wanted something to ponder on.

"I heard that subject 674 is near death," one said. I started listening, since I never heard of a subject 674. "Won't that mean we will loose all that research?"

"There were only two, the source and one made by test tubes out of a blood sample. It seems she can't pass off offspring easily, so we're trying to get her to at least offspring."

"How's that working out?"

"Awful. She won't cooperate. I think we need to use force."

Only two in the world…one the source, one made by a blood sample; that got me wondering. Then, that dragon symbol came into mind, and I remembered Jade, the Manitou family, all that time Jade and I would just read and play some games that didn't require much talking, just simple dice and other assorted game pieces. Tears flew out of my face mask. I had forgotten them. I had forgotten my family. The scientists caught that and stared at me.

"Hey…what do you think would happen if we stick her in there?" the second scientist suggested. "They seem to have a connection of sorts."

I smiled slightly under the mask as one went out to get Jade. I wanted to see her again so bad. An hour later, the door reopened and someone with a black bag over her head was shoved through, shaking and covered with blood. A XL gray shirt with long drooping sleeves was WAY too large for someone worthy of a M. The jeans drooped, L instead of M. She had little gray sneakers were at her feet, the words 'HELP ME!' etched in with blood. I smiled a bit wider under the mask as they pushed her in, locking the door. Back then, the structure was covered with glass and had a small door if necessary. Jade ripped off the bag and stared out the transparent walls. Her hair was still grass green, the little snake figurine still in the same place. Her eyes were liquid jade and frightened, not understanding what that was about at first. She turned to me, wide eyed.

"Let me guess…" she breathed, "a Diclonius…"

I nodded slightly, since there was only so far that could stretch. "Jade…"

She gasped, and then smiled. "Lucy!"

She went up and hugged my waist, making me remember everything. I smiled under the mask, the scientists still observing. For two years, she sat there with me, both of us chatting and I realized her stuttering had stopped. I guessed that the attack helped with that. Since of my immobility, we played the Mad Libs that they gave her, read books so I wouldn't always be bored, played with 'magic' tricks which she often messed up and made both of us laugh, and often she'd played board games close to me so my vectors could play my part. We were let out at eating time to play other games that required mobility while we had the time. It was fun, having my sister back. Then, on Christmas Eve, she was out, apparently doing something. I wanted to make her something, so when I requested to be let out to do that, they just shook their heads. I thought of things I could do, and then spotted some extra metal supports on the top of my cell. I used my vectors and sort of alarmed them, but they saw I was making something, like I wanted to be let out for. I carefully made a tiny music box, the song Kota has on his, Lilium registered to play in the tiny mechanism. The next day was Christmas, and Jade returned with a tiny box. She was nervous looking, and a bit upset over something.

"Sorry, Lucy," she bit her lip. "They wouldn't give me anything else to work with."

She offered the box and I took it with my vectors, opening it to find a small teddy bear with button eyes and patches everywhere. The main color was chocolate brown, and the smile was a soft thread color of liquid silver. I smiled and looked down at her.

"I still have four arms you know," I giggled. "Thank you."

I pushed the music box towards her and she opened it, listening to Lilium for a while. She smiled and looked up. "Thank-"

She was cut off. She grew wide eyed along with me. She clutched at her heart, which blood was coming out of its epicenter. The music box clattered to the ground with a thick and heart retching _THUNK! _The scientists came rushing in, trying to see what had happened. Her arm pulsed once more, and she fell to the ground, blood splattering onto the restraints. I gasped. It was like when my newest human friend had died two years before that, four years ago now. She was wide eyed, her arm ceasing its pulsating. Everything else had stopped as well, and I was there, unable to think clearly. Then I dated back to two years ago when they said she was near death. The offspring issue was never solved, because she refused to leave me. She refused to leave her sister. The teddy bear was clutched against my forehead, tears streaming out of the mask. That moment was the official day I lost everything.

I open my eyes to see the same old bed I'm on to be scattered with sheets and me. I'm lucky that head issue hasn't happened in a while, because if it did, I'd forget Jade in that amount of time I'm 'Nyuu'. I glanced up at the clock on the night stand to find 8:25A.M. I pulled the covers over me, my ankles and wrists popping out of the sides and ends of the sheets. Today is a week from my sister's death, a part of my beginning. Of course, to be funny, she always called it my 'First Thing's First'.

**A.N: COMMENT PLEASE!**


	2. Now That I Mention It

_Now that I Mention It_

I speed from one edge of the kitchen to the net, ignoring the confused, tired glances from my 'second family'. I burn my self and slip, shaking my head on contact and jumping up, only to slip once more and smash my head forward onto the counter. Sure it hurts, but I'm too busy really to concentrate. Kota sighs and sits down, knowing there's no stopping me in this state. Well, now that I mentioned it, I had this sudden urge to make Curry, rice, and Ramen, so that's what I'm doing. Nana plucks ten bowls out, probably figuring that the rice could go with the Curry, and I nod in acknowledgement, just hoping she wouldn't be in the way when I slip for the predictable third time. I run, still in my socks, and slid across the floor, slamming my stomach hard into the edge of the counter. I use my vectors to keep myself on my feet and my eye twitches as I dump the Curry and rice into five of the bowls, setting them down gently. Them as wise as they are, they choose to sit down and wait breakfast, even though it's more wobbly whether it is or not. I wince as my horns slam into the cabinet above my head as I life the head in mention up while dragging out the Ramen. Sure, you might think it's not a good mix, but eat the Ramen first, and then the Curry, you'll see. I dump the Ramen evenly in the five bowls and sliding them across the table to land in front of the others. I set my own in front of me and we dig in.

As Nana munches on the Curry and tries to cool her mouth down with the Ramen and rice, it tastes like home to me. I shut my eyes and remember that we used to play Monopoly every weekend day about three times. Chi and Dad would do something else, since Dad had other stuff to do and Chi was just not getting it at all. Jade would always get some bad card and Junco would get the best, Mom and I in that center stage. One game in particular, Jade plucked a 'Go to Jail' card from the deck and swore silently. She moved her figure in the jail space and I was kind enough to check the rules. Nothing ruled against paying someone's bail in a way. I traded her bail money for just a buck, which would be lousy in real life, and she accepted, getting a 'Pass go and collect $200' card. It was so convenient for her that game, that she ended up beating Mom, who ended up getting a large suing.

Those memories were interrupted with the sudden rise in temperatures. Nana tugs her collar and the others just go on like there's no temperature increase. I raise a brow and stand, taking my time with rinsing to feel the cool water periodically splash on my arms. I dry them off, the heat dimming slightly for some reason, and slid the screen open to climb up the stairs to my room. I dig under the bottom bunk of my bed for my old cream backpack from the old times, lifting it up and plopping it on the bed. I sat next to it and bury my arm in it, dragging out the cute teddy bear Jade made me (don't judge me). I hug it to my chest ("), missing those old times where everything was so simple and peaceful. I set it in my lap and dig my hand in again, feeling some box. I drag out a small box you'd see for Christmas ornaments, except this one is just white with a label.

Subject-

From

Subject 672

Happy Birthday Sis!

I furrow my brows and pop open the lid with the top of my thumb nail. I pry off the cardboard with my left index finger tip, moving one of the flaps aside with the flat of my right middle fingernail. I peer inside with one red iris to see a flicker of metal, raising a brow of interest. I stare at the door and face the box once more. I fold back the lid and flap, slipping in my index and middle fingers of my right hand to feel some soft metal surface. I pluck out a small figure, much like a Christmas ornament, but nothing to hang on the tree, and it was more of a fragment of my past than something cheerful. It's an organization of metal bars and metal supports they had to keep me in that facility; the containment. I'm standing in the center in front of a crooked table, my vectors visible as if to make point and I spot a tiny button on the bottom. I blink and set it on the stand, the helmet wearing (thankfully with a gray T and sagging jeans) me moving the vectors and gripping the bars, bending them down and raising her plastic body up to the brim. Then it lowers herself and restarts, like a music box ballerina, but more effect on me. I feel the tears well up, using the bottom of my left fingers to wipe them away.

"Oh, Jade," I chuckle, "you were always one for riddles, huh?"

I hear someone knock on my door. I walk over, clutching the figure and twisting the knob roughly to one side. I swing it open to reveal Yuka, smiling Yuka. "Hello, Lucy! Is it okay if you come down for a second?"

I blink. "What for, may I ask?"

"Why, Christmas of course!" she giggles as if it was obvious.

I blink and sigh. Should I try and enjoy myself to not beat myself for making them worry, tell them and ditch, tell them and go, or just ditch and B*TCH and moan all day? Ugh, I guess 1) will have to do. I step out and shut the door behind me, the figure clutched behind my back. I follow Yuka as she trots down the steps and walks into our 'meeting room'. I sit down in between Mayu and Nana, folding my clutched hands in my lap. A memory flashes through, and I see Kota and I as kids, fighting on that train with his dead sister and decapitated father's body. The memory flickers to the cafeteria, Jade's rabid expression…I shake those memories away, already having to deal with the insane heat down here. I tug my collar, Nana shifting uncomfortably. Something is going on. Kota comes in with a map, smiling like we just won the lottery (if that's what this is, I'm going to bed). He sits down and spreads the map, certain dots circled. I count three dots in total.

"Okay, Lucy, you must be wondering what this is about," he smiles. I nod. "Well, Yuka's mom gave us permission to take a little vacation, what with all the stress that seems to build here. Now, we have everyone's vote but yours, so I have the map here."

He slides it to me and I decide just to pick one of the circled ones. One says Tokyo, which I find nuts, and the other is sadly unpronounceable to me. I gap at the third, which has '2' under it, meaning two votes. I scribble it out and put '3' for Keokuk. I shove the map back to Kota and set down the pencil, knowing that most likely we'd be visiting my family. The heat increases and I tug my collar harder, glancing at the thermostat: 65degrees. Okay, that's either wrong, or something is _really wrong_. Nana tugs at her neck, sweating beads now. Mayu stares at both of us and tugs Yuka's sleeve.

"I think something's wrong with Lucy and Nana," she whispers.

Yuka and Kota start staring as we sweat and tug nervously at our collars. I stand and walk over to the thermostat, staring at sixty-five. That's utter bull; it has to be at least ninety degrees in here! As the temperature slowly rises, Nana gets up and we walk out, heading for the door. If anything will do us good, it'll be some fresh air. I slide open the screen and Nana and I push ourselves out, slamming the screen behind us. We don't know it's raining until the temperatures drop to seventy-six. I stare down at the sky-blue sweater I was wearing, probably thinking that was one of the causes, yet, why was Nana sweating also? I remind myself that Jade made me this sweater once, hoping I'd have something to wear a bit less depressing than the gray T they gave me that I could only wear at lunch or something. I face the murky clouds and hear steps on the stairs. I turn my head to see some guy around twenty maybe. He has an umbrella, but once he catches sight of me, he drops it and trips backwards. Nana and I run forward to watch him painfully tumble down, and down, and down, and down the stone steps. We follow shortly behind and he crab-walks back, staring at me with utter fright.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he calls. "YOU'RE D-DEAD!"

I blink. "Dacono, is that you?"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he repeats, scrambling up and running into the street.

"Wait, don't do that!" I call out, but a speeding car already rams him in the side.

The person in the car runs out, a young woman with a beer bottle. Driving drunk? That's not good. She grows red in the face and points at me. "MURDERER!" she cries.

Nana and I gap, Nana speaking first. "What do you mean? You're the one driving drunk!"

"MURDER ON THE WAY!" the woman continues. "A MURDERER IS RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PUSHING PEOPLE IN FRONT OF CARS!"

I roll my eyes. "Shut up, whore!"

The three of us argue two against one. Kota and the others come a few minutes later, staring at the scene of Nana and I screeching at some drunk driver who drove over some guy I knew from before. Sooner or later, Yuka grabs both our wrists and starts yanking us back to the house, Nana and I still arguing with that dip SH*T. She drags us inside and we feel the heat hit us again. I'm telling you, something's wrong.

"Go pack," she sighs. "We have to start heading to Keokuk."

Nana laughs and runs to her room, no longer minding the heat. I give a slight grin and run up, swinging the door open and running from one end of the room to the next, trying to block out the heat. Once everything that I need is stuffed inside of the bag, I slouch it over my shoulders and run back out, my cap threatening to fall off. I push it on my head and slide down the stair rail, landing perfectly on my feet. I dash out, not wanting to sweat all over the sweater, and skid into the rain. The drops feel cool against my skin, so I run down the stone steps to see if the harder they fall, the cooler they'll feel. I slip and start sliding, smashing into a car door while the car was moving. The car jerks to a halt, wrapping one of my bag straps with the door handle. My eyes bulge and I try to yank it out, hearing the screen of the front of the house slam and footsteps pattering down the steps. Someone jerks the strap out and the bottom of my spine crashes hard on the curb, making it ultimately sore. I feel tiny arms wrap around my neck and my breath catches once the voice of the small one rings.

"LUCY! WE FOUND YOU!" Chi, my now thirteen-year-old younger bother cries.

I blink and pat his back, a bit stunned. "Chi, what're you doing here?"

Junco steps out, glasses still with 'I 3 BROTHER' on them, crossing his arms. "Lucy, what're you doing running into cars?"

"What are you doing speeding?" I smirk.

He rolls his eyes and helps me up. I blink and Yuka, Mayu, and Nana come up, Kota a bit behind. I sigh. Here we go. Before they can say anything, I start explaining about the Manitou family, the facility, what happened with Jade, everything I knew. By what knowledge I have, I'm panting at the end of it all, Yuka blinking and Kota panting from running and slipping quite a few times.

"Wait, so you're saying there's another mutant race?" Nana squeals, excited.

"I wouldn't be so happy," I mutter. "There's a catch-"

That's when a mushroom cloud comes up from the beach. "Yeah, save it and get in," Junco rushes us, knowing something was _definitely _wrong.

The heat wave comes back, and Nana and I grasp our throats as we get in. It's freaking HOT! I sit on the backseat floor, arms up to my chest and hands at throat. When Kota gets into the front and Yuka and Mayu in the backseat with Nana and Chi, we speed off. Chi stares at me, then hands me a slip of paper. 8/7/92 is scribbled on: my birthday. I flip it to Jade's birthday of 6/2/92. So she's two months older and we're both twenty. I smile at him, realizing these were our old locker combinations as well, and pocket the slip, suddenly the car jerking to a stop once more today. Junco screams and Nana grows wide eyed.

"WHAT THE F*CK IS THAT?" she cries.

I kick the door open and leap out, Nana following. I skid to a stop and gasp. It's weird. I'm staring at some blue-haired nine-year-old with teal eyes, albino skin not quite as pale as Jade's and light blue scales running in patches up her arms. A light blue summer dress is tight around her, barefoot and her expression maniacal and furious at the same time.

"They said you'd be scary!" she cackles. "I want to play, but you'd break too easily!"

I growl. "Who the F*CK are you?"

She smiles a toothy grin, revealing three thick rows of shark teeth. I look at her arm to see the mark in the shape of the shark, and faint gills on her neck. SH*T, she can breathe above and below water. She charges, obviously blind to the vectors and Nana and I launch our vectors at her, smacking her clear in the stomach. She spits up phlegm like blood, then growls. She charges again and Nana smacks her down with a vector, repetitively smacking her over and over. I walk forward, clenching my fists, when I hear Nana scream. I watch as she drags back her vector, the vector with a finger chomped off. I snarl at the girl and she rises, munching on something that sounds like bone and blood.I wince as if she's munching on one of my own four vectors and shake the thought out of my head as she charges. I jump out of the way, causing her to take a mouthful of dirt and worms. She spits it out and roars, her mark pulsing. Nana charges at her and uses her vectors to knock her down while I land, vectors down, on her. She goes a foot into the earth and we hear the car screeching to start, but it won't. I glance back to see Chi shaking with fear, probably thinking that his sister will save the day. Yeah, natural born Gem Blossoms are stronger than more of me, the Queen of the Diclonius race! Of course, I don't know how strong these lab-made ones are.

She growls and cries out once her arm socket loosens. "MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!"

Oh SH*T this can't be pretty. I turn to the rustling in the tree patch next to us and a girl my age with my pink hair and Nana's pink eyes and this girl's albino skin comes out. A sleeveless summer dress is tight around a thing figure, the mark on her platform a cross, out of all things. The mark pulsates and I gasp as the girl gets up, her wounds healing. So the pink chick heals, the blue chick is a half-shark; nice mixture. The shark cackles and folds her arms behind her back.

"I'm Sapphire," she smiles. "Might as well grant your wish before you d-"

Something knocks her down, and I shortly realize it's one of Nana's vectors. Then, a shadow bursts from the trees and beats her down, the pink chick running to help. Nana and I run into the car and I force Junco into the backseat, climbing into the driver seat. I slam the door and forget the seatbelt, jerking the gear into 'Drive' and stomp as hard as I can on the gas, the car skidding forward and slamming hard into Sapphire and the cotton candy chick. They scream as I take a sudden jerk right towards the trees and I stop hard on the brake, jerking the clutch to 'Reverse' and driving backwards for about a mile when I turn around and start driving forward. Everyone is clutching to their seats, Chi smiling.

"Sissy saved us!" he cries in happiness.

I smile in triumph, until I hit the brakes to prevent hitting a car and slam my forehead into the wheel. "You know what, every time I hear stuff like that, something bad happens," I grumble, rubbing my head and receiving a rude gesture from the guy in front of me because I hit the horn. I roll down the window.

"Junco, cover Chi's ears," I command. Once that's done… "F*CK YOU TO B*TCH!"

That's when he slams backwards at us and a cop pulls up. This is going to be one long car trip.


	3. ZOMBIE Stands for Nothing

**I do not own Elfen Lied, plain and simple.**

_Z.O.M.B.I.E (Stands For Nothing)_

I stomp on the brakes, the screeching almost making _me _want to rip my ears off. Rain and snow pelts the wind shield, just screaming 'incoming hail storm about to kill you'. Chi kicks my seat, not really knowing he was doing so, Junco and Yuka passed out three days ago and Kota and Mayu were starting to worry that they died from a heart attack or something. Nana was in the front seat next to me, drawing in one of the coloring books to help you get a better concept of history in a better way Chi gave her. I jerk the gear into 'Park' and slump in my seat.

"We're home," I mumble, crawling out of the vehicle.

A gun shoves itself in my face, and I look up to see Mabel, cautious. She huffs and turns to Nana, raising a brow. "Which one of you is Lucy?" We point at each other. Kota glares at the both of us for willingly volunteering each other, and Mabel turns the gun to me. "I'll shoot you both if I have to."

I sigh. "Mabel, put the gun down. It's bad enough you smoked in the Manitou house Gad knows how many times."

"Gad? What the F*CK is that?" she blinks.

"I'm taking consideration for Jade, _who was Christian_," I remind.

She digs the gun into my forehead and Kota yanks it out of her hands. "What the F*CK are you doing? What did she do to-"

"Kota," I intervene. "This is Mabel, the special one."

She growls, "I'm the special one huh? Look at yourself, horny."

I roll my eyes. "Oh please, do you know how many times I've heard _that _before?"

Chi drags Yuka and Junco out, both still unconscious, and Mayu hops out behind Nana, staring at Mabel. "She looks like Junco's sister, except really older."

Mabel rolls her eyes. "That's because I was disowned. Mostly because of the spiky lollipop here…"

I snicker. "At least I don't kick puppies."

"That was once and you know it was because it had rabies!"

I muffle laughter. "That was whipped cream, stupid."

"It nearly bit me!" she cries in defense.

Nana smirks and silently trips Mabel from behind with a vector. I giggle (chuckling is a boy thing in my opinion) and walk forward, seeing the house the same way it was six-years-ago. I hear clashing and crashing and look at Chi, who looks at the house in fright. Mabel turns and raises a brow. "Mabel, was the house empty?"

She nods and I run forward. Nobody messes with my original home. I wretch both doors open and skid into the kitchen, gasping. The cupboard shuts with a slam, a scale falling onto the ground. The green scale makes me take a step forward, raising a brow. I let my vectors droop to my sides and I stiffen, walking for the cupboard and fighting the handle to open it. Either the handle or the person inside did NOT want me to open it. I sigh and release it, making the other person pull the door in and snap it in half. I gasp. The green ponytail, liquid jade eyes, the palest skin ever, an adult XL grass green blank T with drooping adult M jeans when she needed an adult S for both; Jade. She blushes at the wreck and stares at me, blinking.

"Uh…I thought Mabel was living here," she blinks, not understanding why I was in a house I haven't been in for six-years now.

I laugh and tackle her, forgetting she was in a cupboard and the cupboard crashes down on me, both of us laughing and releasing 'ouch's. We both get up, dusting off our bottoms, and she smiles when she realizes I'm wearing the sweater she got me. She hugs me and I hug her back. Then we realize another is hugging both of us and we look right to see Chi, hugging both of us. We look at each other and shrug, resuming hugging. We part, unable to fully because of Chi, and we smile at each other, turning at the sound of running. Jade grows wide eyed and starts scrambling to get into another cabinet, but Chi and I hold her back of her shirt, just blinking at her.

"Don't worry, the gun didn't fire!" Chi tries to comfort.

"OH JEEZ!" she squeals, now dragging us centimeter by centimeter forward.

"Now, Jade!" I grunt, taking two struggling steps back. "He's thirteen, what'd he know?"

"ALGEBRA!" she snaps.

I stare at Chi. "You just had to know Algebra, huh?" He nods and I roll my eyes, struggling to yank her back away from the cabinets. Someone shoots at us and I glare at Mabel, a smile on her face. "Chill, I'm just practicing."

I roll my eyes and now Chi and I are being dragged by inches. Nana appears with her vectors out for some reason and giving me an idea. I take my vectors and very gently yanking her back, managing to snap an arm out of her socket. "OW! VECTORS! OW!"

"Sorry!" I cringe, releasing her loosened arm and the arm popping back into place with a simple shrug.

"Ah, it's alright," she sighs. "I'd just like to _live_ for more than a maximum of two seconds."

Another shot rings and she makes another run for it, but I dig my heels into the floor. "Okay, settle down Rudolph!"

She rolls her eyes and calms down, clutching the counter now next to her for support with her right and her left clutching the left side of her head. "Jeez, in these tense times, I can't focus the slightest."

"Why would these be tense times?" Nana wonders.

At that, Jade smiles like it were some joke. "Haven't you noticed Sapphire?"

"That blue kid," I mutter.

She nods. "The pink one they call Opal, but her name's Savior."

Kota crosses his arms. "How do you know?"

Jade laughs, "I'm the Queen, dear! I know every power, the amount, even if one is in the process of creation."

Mabel rolls her eyes. "Like _that _helped when they came…"

There's a slight silence, and I start to panic. "What? What happened? Did they do something to Mom and Dad?"

Mabel grits her teeth and slams her gun on the table, making it fire. "Don't call them that! You were _never _their kid!"

"Hey!" Mayu defends. "Just because you're disowned doesn't mean you can lash at Lucy!"

Mabel scoffs and sits down next to her gun. Junco and Yuka are positioned on the chairs lazily by Nana, and they start to drift awake. I look back at Jade. "So, they're creating more?"

She bows her head. "They're desperate to see how I offspring, but after that attack…they thought I was dead, so they wanted to preserve me for further tests they were able to put. I woke up one day in a light ball, and a whole bunch of needles were in me. Remember what they said about having only one other? Remember how that was made out of a sample of _my _blood? Well, what happened was they took all those needles and made little replicas of Gem Blossoms, but the thing is, _they're not the same._"

I raise a brow. "Keep going…"

"I discovered that they didn't solve _why _I am who I am, so they were missing a few things. The point is, I'm the stronger, and since it's _my _blood they're using, I have a connection to each one. So far, out of the test videos I snuck out of there, the experimental Gem Blossoms _can not _get along, which is why they have Savior. Savior was the second one, Savior was the first test tube baby, and what happened was that my blood was a lot better then, a lot younger. So, she's like the princess, to put it at a close."

Mayu clutches her dog tight, Nana standing. "How tough are they?" Nana asks.

"Tougher than one Diclonius," I sigh. "The original," I gesture at Jade, "is stronger than probably ten combined."

"Isn't that how many Diclonius there are?" Mayu raises a brow.

"Probably," I mutter. "Other Diclonius have made their marks, so I can't be certain."

Jade smiles slightly and pulls out a print of sorts. I take it up in my hands and open it to a cell, not the prison cell, but the living organism cell. Arrows are drawn extruding from it, writing scrawled above each one. On the left is a list of ingredients they used, half of which I never heard of, and on the right is a list of the possibly strongest, one being some chick named Diamond.

"What do you know about Diamond?" I ask Jade.

Her arm pulses and she closes her eyes, obviously looking her up. Once she opens her eyes, she faces me. "She's in progress. They're taking a long time with her, because she was supposed to be the third."

It's very clear they have more than that. "How many can you take at once?"

She smiles. "A lot, but I wasn't here when they came…they let out some unfinished ones, one being Sapphire a couple of weeks ago. They just went through the house just probably looking for me, but Mom and Dad…they protect their children."

I frown. So they're dead. "Are they all loose?"

She nods. "One died three or four days ago," she informs.

_That fits the date of the explosion…_ "Do you know where?"

"On some beach when some dumb guy threw a grenade. Apparently, her 'Blossom' was in the shape of a raccoon, so…"

I raise a brow. "Blossom being the sparkling thing on your arm, I believe?"

She nods once more. "Gem is what we look like; we always turn out colors of some gem that have the same color eyes and hair. Blossom refers to the animal on the right platform, which we are able to morph into half of. I only morphed a quarter that day…" we both shiver. "So, as long as nobody looks like the Resurrection Stone from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we should be safe."

That's when the window shatters with a rock. I wince as it bangs into one of my horns and Jade looks at them, seeing them cropped short and uneven like glass fragments cemented together into Sedimentary rocks. She winces as if it was her who had to go through the twenty-six pounding vectors that went faster than a cheetah and the glowing wave of bullets that made them think I was dead, but I was lucky apparently. She takes a loaf of bread from the cabinet above her and hands me a slice, the bread feeling soft in my hands. I take a bit and it's softer between my jaws. Now I realize that driving three days without food can make a girl ravenous. I stare at the gapping hole the rock created and lift the rock in mention off the ground. I'm not surprised to find blood, but a picture of me in the orphanage? That's new. I take another chomp out of the bread and squint at it, trying to find any significance to it. One is the boy in the bottom right corner was one of those jerk offs who I killed before I ran the F*CK out. Another would be the fact that the other two boys were right next to him. I face the window once more and tilt my head to the side. Something's up. I chomp the bread to nearly finish it and pocket the rock.

"Wait here," I order, walking to the door and letting the previous chomp digest before even thinking of taking another.

Once I chomp the bread out of existence, lick my chops and wipe my fingers on my arms, I walk over to the outside of the window, looking around to see nobody. That's odd. I look back inside to see Jade's platform continuing to pulsate. I walk around the wall a bit, peering in corners and inside crates, finding nobody. Strange as it is, I can only assume the bricks ran off just trying to be funny. I shrug and turn my back, a rock smashing into my head. I swirl around and hear taunting laughter. It sounds familiar…I creep over next to an alley and peer in gradually.

"Hello?"

No answer. I shrug and turn, only to end up with someone tackling me from behind. Something is injected into my neck and I struggle, my senses dimming. Somehow, Jade and nobody else in the house didn't notice. My first thought is that this is a dream, but there's one catch; it hurts too much. I thrash, but the weight is like…two thirteen year old boys? I turn my head to gasp; I'm dreaming, if I'm not, then Jade was right about that Resurrection Stone bologna, because the three boys from the orphanage are _right in front of my eyes_. I kick and scream, but nobody seems to hear. What the F*CK is going on? The leader, a name I chose to forget years ago, kneels in front of my face, then I notice something; Jade is looking at me from the corner of her eye. I don't think she's supposed to be able to see me, hear me, or even sense me. I glare at him and spit in his eye, only making him cackle.

"What do you want?" I demand.

He places his hands on either side of his head and pushes up; his head lifts off. He sets it in front of me and I glare as it smiles maniacally. "You did this, remember freak?"

A rock slams into his skull, making him topple over. I turn to see Nana and Jade, Jade with an arm full of rocks, heavy and dense. Nana just has her vectors and a few butcher knives. The window is shut, but even then I can see Mabel aiming her gun at the boys. I feel my fingers turn icy, my spine go stiff. I stare as the leader's body lifts up his head and plops it back on.

"Stay out of this, Jane," the boy demands. "I have business."

I raise a brow. Jade growls and clutches another rock, this time eyeing to throw it somewhere it's bound to hurt. "Just because they made that, doesn't mean you have to be nice with me, Z.O.M.B.I.E."

"Does that actually stand for something?" I raise a curious brow.

"Yeah…" she sighs.

Zombie

Omnipotent

Mega

B*TCHY

Incredulous

Evacuation plan delta."

I blink. "So basically it doesn't stand for anything."

"That's right," she rolls her eyes.

I jerk my head up and hit a boy square in the nose. "Hey, had to ask."

I jerk my leg up to smack a boy in the stomach, letting him loosen his grip and me to push up and jerk the other one off. The leader frowns as I made my recovery and I jerk the needle out, the wound healing due to my sudden adrenaline. I raise the needle like a psycho would a knife and charge, knocking off his head and jabbing it in his spine. The head hops onto the stump and hops at me. I try to pull out a vector, but they're stuck, so I smash it with the bottom of my shoe. It's that plain and simple right? Whoever said yes is wrong. Something breaks in the house, dragging my attention to the window, once closed with the screen but now open. I run in through the window and suddenly get pushed through the wall I blink and stand up, picking glass out of my back. I wince as I pick out a deep one and look up to that little girl who was my 'friend'. Of course she was the one who told about the dog and got it killed.

"I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!" she screams. "I THOUGHT YOU LIKED ME!"

I roll my eyes. "Oh please…her? If they're going to resurrect someone, why not resurrect my parents or Mariko?"

Jade rolls her eyes, knowing perfectly well Mariko from tests in the lab. The experiment was to see who could fight better; a twenty-six vector Diclonius, or the Queen of Gem Blossoms. Jade was winning until that B*TCH sort of cheated and killed a guard to release the door and started pushing her into crowded territory. Since the facility is SO perfect, they say that time never existed, and that Mariko didn't kill fifteen guards just to get three blows at Jade.

The girl screams and the earth quakes, perfectly explaining that this is _not really _the girl from six-years-ago. I jump as the earth lifts up to a ripple under my feet, hitting the remaining boys. Jade closes her eyes and crouches down, obviously in pain. I freeze, and so does everything around me. Frost coats my lungs and I realize how hot they were. I take a deep breath and the lungs defrost, cooling within my body temperature and everything resumes. I land with my vectors and kick through the hole in the wall, also kicking her full in the lower jaw. She stumbles as her jaw hangs low. She clutches it in a mid-swing and lodges it back in place, her head turning a complete 360 like you'd see in zombie movies.

"Gross," I comment.

"At least I'm not horny," she snaps.

I face Mabel, gaping and holding out my hand towards the girl. "See? Didn't I tell you?"

The girl somehow pushes me back and I slam into the wall, _hard_. I wince and rub my head, trying to keep Nyuu out of the fight she has NO chance whatsoever of winning (unless she magically grew an F*CKING backbone). Jade is just standing there, staring at the girl. The girl turns to her and twists her head upside down, smiling.

"Hey, sis," the girl cackles.

Jade snarls at the girl, "My sister died years ago, B*TCH."

The girls head is loped off by something I can't see and I turn my head painfully to see Jade with her sand wood fan, open and clutched in her hand firmly. The room feels a bit colder, but I choose to ignore it. Mabel clenches her chest as if she's about to have a heart attack, Chi confused and Junco solemn. I furrow my brows and stand, a bit wobbly. Kota supports me until I can straighten without nearly collapsing and face Jade.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" I ask, a bit uneasy.

Jade frowns, something she's done a lot as a kid. She sits down and clutches the fan tightly, biting her lip for a second. "…Years ago, around the time I was born, we had a younger sister."

Mabel sighs. "She was only a month younger than Jade here, yet, two years before you came Lucy, something was…_wrong_…just _wrong_…she wouldn't come out of her room, we'd hear two separate voices and every time Jade and I would peek under the door, we'd only see her in there, reading or coloring. We started to think we were insane, which is why I started smoking…"

"To ease any tension," I mutter.

Jade nods silently, "Which is why you never saw me complain, Lu. All I did was cringe away because, well, she's nasty when tense. Anyways, so, one day, Junco went in without knocking and…"

Chi covers his ears, obviously knowing where this was going. Junco gulps and slips out a little box, handing it to me. I gingerly accept it and gradually peek in, dropping it and slamming my back against the wall. "SICK!"

Jade shrugs, "Junco told Mabel, who told me, which I took care of her plain and simple."

I raise a brow. "Huh? Impossible…she was in the orphanage…"

She nods. "I know. I took care of her by telling Dad, who used to be a psychiatrist. When he heard, he told me to tell her some lie that we were going on vacation or some mumbo jumbo, but…"

"You told her the truth?" Mayu squeaks.

Jade shakes her head. "She _knew_. It does still freak me out, but what I did was just stand there, but she refused to pack. She wanted to stay, she wanted _me _to go, because I'm…you know…"

Mabel clears her throat. "I came in and started screaming at her to go, telling her that we knew what she did, but she wouldn't go. Things started shaking, and I thought is was her, but it was _Jade getting angry_."

I blink at Jade. "When do you get angry?"

"Rarely," she states. "But she was just so spoiled and sick. I wanted her gone so she didn't hurt anyone just because she ran out of…_that_…that's why I was always so cautious around those boys, so careful, because I didn't want to lash out like I did then. I made the whole floor collapse, and believe it or not, but Mabel…"

Mabel rolls up her sleeve and digs her thumb nail into her skin, or what looks like skin. She peels it off to show some metal gears and contractions that move her hand. Apparently it was bad. "Banged up my entire platform, she did. Our _'sis' _just had a few cuts, but…that's when Jade got _really angry_, making her…what was it…_breathe fire?_"

Almost everyone gasps, excluding me. "Not surprising," I shrug.

Jade smiles at me, "I guess you can tell by now?"

I nod. "Whatever animal or creature Gem Blossoms have for Blossoms makes them sort of half of that." I gesture to her. "She can grow claws, like the jade dragon on her platform, and the fangs are just a result of growing carnivore teeth." She smiles and I roll my eyes. "Scratch that, _grown _carnivore teeth."

Mabel grunts and resumes the story. "Anyways, she dodged, but that was Jade's intention, because she slammed into the washer and Jade opened the door and shoved her leg in, turning it on."

Mayu and Nana wince and my leg starts to hurt. One word for you: ouch. "She deserved it," I snap. Oh…and that thing in the box? That thing was colored puppy intestines.


	4. Blosssom of the Blossom

_Blossom of a Blossom_

I open my eyes, examining my old room. Jade is sleeping soundly on her bed, her mark pulsating and mirroring her thoughts. One is her in some bubble, about fifty needles in her body. That plus two meant they're fifty-two Gem Blossoms created. How many rocks and minerals can they name them after? I squint at the mark to see Sapphire, her small nine-year-old self in a wheelchair like Mariko. She's lined up with several others, one with a raccoon Blossom, and the apparent leader having a sea-monster. I glance at Jade's Blossom's outline and make out the dragon shape, still confused on how that worked. Does she sprout wings like a dragon and everything else? I know she wasn't full-blow-out Gem Blossom like Sapphire appeared to be, but I don't think she was able to, being so young and all. One last memory flickers, and that's the Monopoly game with that sudden 3rd placer. I pat her head and kneel net to the bed.

"Hey, Jade," I whisper. "Get up sleepy."

She grunts and flutters her eyes open, sitting up partially and arms spread, knees aligned with her chest, but a foot away. She blinks and drops her palms flat on the silky sheets, twisting her head towards the sun-covered window. She squints as the sun threatens to blind her and she turns to me, rubbing the back of her neck. "Hey, it's Christmas Eve, isn't it?"

I nod. "Apparently it is."

We blink, swearing that yesterday was the twenty-second. We stand up, Jade hopping off the bed before doing so. We creep for the door and Jade flicks her wrist, and the door opens automatically. Strange thing; _she wasn't even holding the knob._ I glance to see her sand wood fan up her sleeve, remembering that it was not the usual one. You see, if you go back to Chapter 3, you'll see what I mean. We slip through and I kick the door gently shut, a soft click symbolizing the shut. We walk over to the stairs, sliding down the rails with our legs inward the stairs, our butts sliding down the smooth rail surface and twist to land our feet on the floor before we tumbled like a log out the door with remaining in our positions. All is a bit queer; what with the quietness and all. I allow my vectors to come out, Jade slipping her fan out into her palm, squeezing it like a trusting hand. I open a door to see Mayu and Nana with the pup; nothing unusual. I relax and turn to Mabel, pointing a gun at my head. I blink and stare at the muzzle, finding 'DIE B*TCH' carved into it. I flutter my lids while trying to get if that's for me or not and face her, face blank.

"Put that away," I say.

Jade turns and notices Mabel. "Mabel, come on!"

Mabel cocks it. "_Come on, Jade! _She's not even your real-"

Jade directs the fan at her face. "Do _not _say 'sister'. Lucy is as real as a sister to me as you are attracted to boys."

Mabel rolls her eyes and pulls the trigger, but it just clicks. She blinks and points it sideways, lowering it and staring at the black side. We hear muffled laughter and look past Mabel to see Junco and Chi covering their mouths, Chi's hands filled with bullets that come from a .66, the pistol Mabel has. She growls and runs at them, chasing them around demanding the bullets back. Jade and I roll our eyes. No wonder it was so quiet, they were too busy stealing Mabel's bullets! All is happy in the land of Japan now that Jade and I found out what that silence was! Jade and I exchange glances, bursting into two balls of hysteric laughter. We wipe tears of heat and pressure and joy out of our eyes, trying to cease our laughter. Unfortunately, it was just _that _funny to us. Jade and I try to help each other off the floor, but that's difficult, seeing we're _both _on the floor. Nana and Mayu stare at us, shaking their heads.

"Are you guys drunk on air or something?" Nana mutters into her book.

Jade exclaims, "Yes ma'am!" She swings one arm up and falls backwards, making me hug my sides nice and tight so they wouldn't burst.

Kota and Yuka walk into the main hall, carrying boxes that they clutch tighter at the sight of us and they exchange confused glances, staring at us as Jade and I laugh past the point where out laughs become wheezes. We cross the point where it just becomes red faces and no sound, just the rapidly heaving in and out chests. I fall onto my side, trying to control myself, but Mabel is still chasing the boys, slamming into a cabinet. I go to the point where my lungs are about to burst when glass shatters. I cease all breathing and gradually take deep breaths, sitting up and squinting out the right window next to the door. A huge gaping hole is in the center, glass scattered on the floor in front of it. I raise a brow and stand up, heaving an equally as confused Jade onto her feet. Kota and Yuka take two steps back, furrowing their brows as well. Jade clutches her fan and we run out the door, only to be hit with yet more rocks. Like usual, these rocks are sharp, thick, and rough on the edges. I cover my face with my arms, my vectors glued inside me at the minute while Jade holds her fan in front of her face, the stones repelling off somehow.

A girl with black hair and one black iris pops out of a bush. One iris is black, the other blood crimson; the immediate sign that she's insane or power active. Her blossom is, what it seems to be, a panther, rocks clutched tightly in her claws. She hurls them at us and we block them from the house, remembering full well our childhood spent here, whether a bit over a month or years. She hisses, yes, hisses, and pounces, fangs drooping out, black fur patching on her body, and her panther ears revealing after her black cap is blown off by Jade's fan. I push her away with a vector, surprised on how weak the test-tube babies were compared to the one and only natural born. She hisses once more, fighting my vector, and Savior or Opal come out from the same bush, her face blank and her cross pulsating. I believe she's the only one without an animal for a Blossom. The girl shakes her head and pushes my vector off, not attacking it much. She stands, dusting off her black summer dress and staring at us, brows furrowed. I hear the entrance lock and see Jade's fan behind her back, aiming at the ground and obviously shifted. I blink and glance back at the girl.

"Who are you?" she demands.

"Lucy and Jade," Jade informs. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself to my friend here, Schist?"

Obviously, you're not going to reveal who your relatives are to your enemies. Schist blinks and takes a step back, slightly shaking. "Only our Queen…only the Queen can do that…"

Jade nods at her, frowning like I've never seen her frown before. She pinches her throat with two fingers and closes her eyes, her fan open at a sixty degree angle. I hear her muttering, but I can't make it out. Schist backs away, staring at Opal in shock. "Oh no you're not healing super fast like so!" I hiss, charging for Opal.

I tackle her with my vectors, Schist screaming in fright. Well, she _is _nine-years-old. I raise my brow as I note the connection and Opal just stares up at me, not really reacting to my punches except by healing herself. I keep hitting, but as long as her Blossom is pulsating, it'll never stop. Something punches my back, hard, and I wince, my vectors dissipating. Schist knocks me off and Jade keeps at her chant, obviously planning to accomplish something. The wind picks up, and I see Mabel with a smoking pistol on the porch, staring up at the newly stormy sky. Something is wrong here. I glance as Opal heals any wounds Schist had sustained and something happens so fast, my vision urges me to vomit. A roar, a flash of green, a fountain of blood, something lifting me up, Jade at my side, the fan shutting, the thunder roaring and the lightening striking the ground in front of us hard. We're knocked back, crashing hard into the ground and I feel my vectors jerk out suddenly as if something's inside my body that rejects them. Something through my vectors and I scream, the pain worse and worsening. I would say 'Holy SH*T' by now, huh? Well, being the funny girl I am, I decide to mutter the following.

"Holy Schist, there are two Gem Blossoms!"

Schist snarls at me and more pain sears through my vectors. I grab at the source and pull some eight-year-old with slimy sand colored scales and sandy. She heads for on of my vectors, but I jerk them back. This girl had sand snake fangs for two teeth, armless and instead of legs; she had a single mass of flesh resembling a tail. Blood drips down the side of her face and she hisses once more. This is CR*P in my opinion. Opal stares at the scene, not really doing much but healing her side. I growl under my breath and jerk the eight-year-old to the side, silencing her with a snap. I drop her body to the ground. That jerk was with a vector, and you know how those things can get. Schist screams and charges, more lightening striking down. The earth starts to quake and another roar rings. Another flash of green and one eye is out, blood and gore drooping out. My own eye starts to sting from just looking at the gore and I cringe as an arm is retched off, looking to my right to find Jade not there. Is she doing all of this? I charge at Opal once more, but the pain comes back, and I squint to see her lips start to pale. I squint to see tiny lines of crossing white thread above her lips, her eyes blank and familiar. I blink. Is she trying to tell me something? I turn to see Schist charging, and my vectors come out in perfect timing. They hurl at her, knocking her back and she starts to thrash as they clasp her throat. I feel at my back to the warm touch of blood and the metal of a bullet that I yank out. The bullet belongs to a .66 caliber, the gun Mabel holds at this very minute. I scowl at her and throw Schist in her direction, thankfully her missing the dodge opportunity and being thrown off the porch.

"Oops," I mutter bitterly.

My parents, who disowned her died, and she gets all claim to their house when she's not even a part of the family anymore? Does that make the tiniest of sense to you? If it does, feel free to speak because I DON'T GET IT. Mabel smoked in front of her younger siblings and parents. Mabel kicked a puppy (I will NEVER let that go). Mabel keeps thinking she can do it all, well I have something for her, SHE CAN'T! Even I am having difficulties and I'm not human like her! Jade materializes next to me, making me blink.

"Where do you keep running off to?" I demand.

She stares at the fan. "Uh, can I start with the enraged Gem Blossom heading for us at this very-"

"OOMPH," we both grunt as Schist's head and fists slams into our abdomens. Last time I checked, she's a panther, NOT AN F*CKING BULL OR RHINO!

I clear my head and my vectors slip in, then burst out, pushing over my shoulders and through her head. Well, I guess you could say I pushed her head off, but since her neck just snaps back, it doesn't count. That's the thing with test-tube babies; they keep making simple mistakes that anyone can realize in the win of an eye! I turn to Jade and clap my hands together, rubbing them together for a short period of time and marching into the house, acting like Jade and I didn't just kill two wild Gem Blossoms off the dot. Kota stares at me and I pluck the box from his hands, walking into the room that contains Nana and Mayu and staring up at a huge tree. Jade walks next to me and grabs a star from the box, setting it on the table.

"We'll play Monopoly later to see who gets to put that up," she decides.

I nod in agreement. "Then I guess you never put a start on a Christmas tree before?"

She scowls as I chuckle, plucking out Christmas lights and managing to get myself tangled. I try using the vectors, but they tangle to. Mabel marches to her room, dusting off the splinters and rocks she received in her skin at the fall, and Chi runs in, sitting next to the girls and handing them each a small book with a figure of some cat on it.

"It's Puss in Boots. It's a good story," he suggests.

"'Jut be' 'caw' 'e 'oh 'pi 'it, 'mod' net' bean' bay' bill," Jade mumbles with a hole bunch of ornament hooks between her lips.

I pluck one out and slip it through an ornament hook, making her scowl. I chuckle to myself and plop the penguin ornament on a branch. Shuffling through the box, something slides from my pocket and crashes on the floor, the sound of metal clanging together gathering my attention. I peer up from the box to glance at the figure of me breaking from that containment center on the floor on its side. Thankfully, the sound of metal clanking together was only from a metal plate underneath it. I curse under my breath and pluck it up, glancing over at Jade. Something about her is different, I just can't tell what. Plus, Opal was acting weird just a bit ago…I still wonder if she's trying to tell me something. I straighten and stare at the ceiling. Something is wrong, and I intend to find out, even if it kills me.

Jade's mark pulsates and I stare as a pair of arms show, one with a dragon. I raise a brow and she notices, looking at her arm and shifting uncomfortably. "That's a Blossom of the Blossom," she 'explains'. "They're usually when you're powers are stored in one place. It's either that, or some nightmare at the back of my brain."

I keep staring at it. She drags herself into the Blossom, looking around frantically. She spots me and smiles in delight, banging on the surface. Jade pricks herself with a hook and winces, the Jade inside looking frightened. She bangs on the surface harder and I can barely make out the words that escape her lips. I catch 'Lucy' and 'me', but that doesn't really narrow it down except 'Lucy help me', seeing her current state of panic. I furrow my brows and continue. Something…just something is different, and instead of dying to find out, I'm dying _knowing. _

After a few hours of setting everything up for Christmas tomorrow, everyone slips into their rooms and waits for 'Santa Clause'. Last time I checked, the drill goes not a creature stirring, not a huge series of clashes rising from the kitchen. I grumble as I fight off the sheets, twisting the knob and heading downstairs. I walk through the door and scream; it's Jade, who I swore is sleeping in her bed. She jumps, her face tattered and worn. Instead of a dragon, her arm has a faint cross; Opal. I shut the door and pin her to the wall, only receiving the blank look from her face. I walk forward and tear out the needles, her jaw dropping as one side is broken. I blink and dump the threads and needles into her hands, trusting she'd either fix that later or in death (or both).

"What're you doing here, Opal?" I growl.

She shakes her head, pointing at her mark. I look into it and see the Jade from upstairs, ear to the floor. So she was listening. Jade never did that. Not even when she's in the back of the class and classmates are around her. She'd just ignore them, listen to the teacher and/or talk to me. I glance at her and she holds up a Monopoly $20. She hands it to me and I pluck it out of her hands. I drop her and she bows, running out the window where she apparently came from. I stare down at the play money and turn it.

Listen to the 'Blossom of the Blossom', Lucia. You'll find something very interesting.

I date back to the middle of my stay here for the first time. She decided to call me Lucia, to be a bit more formal. I thought it was a bit of a drag, but it made her happy. Now look at me, Lucia, trying to decide whether to trust Opal, or Jade. In fact, I don't even know if Jade _is _Jade. I used to be so sure, but now that's in total ruin. Had I actually found my sister again, or had I just met some clone? Jade was friendly, shy, kind, and intelligent, but why would she think Mabel lived here? She always does her research!

"_She just forgot because of the stress," _I try to reinsure myself. _"Oh what am I kidding? I'm just a psycho having a wacked up dream or nightmare, considering the Z.O.M.B.I.E.S yesterday…oh crud."_

The door opens and I turn to Chi, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Sis, what're you doing up so late at night?"

I blink, not really able to answer. I remind myself of the Jade upstairs and kneel down. "I was just walking off my legs a bit. Don't want to wake up to numb legs on Christmas now do I?"

"Then sleep in a different position," he grumbles.

I smile and walk past him, ruffling his hair on the way. My little brother's definitely learning a thing or two from somebody. I walk up to my room once more, shutting the door firmly and stretching my arms and legs before kneeling next to the now 'sleeping' Jade. I gaze into the Blossom and find the inner Jade crawl back out. Her forehead's bleeding, a cross is on her platform, and a hole is where her heart should be. I blink and hold my breath. How could that really be? Jade…Jade had really died? She shakes her head as if she read my mind and points to the right pocket of my sagging pants. I take out the figure inside and furrow my brows. There was some clue to this, I just can't tell what the F*CK it is! I press the button once more and the bars bend down, my figure rising up. Hmm…the supports bending down, and the center rising up…I blink and smile.

"Thanks Jade," I smile, patting the forehead so the outer Jade didn't catch on.

Jade smiles up at me and something starts to drag her away. I miss her, but I can tell this is more important than a family reunion. This could lead to the end of that Gem Blossom research, and the end of Jade's 'death'. Thank you, Blossom of the Blossom!


	5. Happy to Betrayed

_Happy to Betrayed_

I squirm on the sheets. First that time at the shrine festival pops into my head, then when I killed Kota's family, to Jade being dragged into the car, my only true friend at fifteen shot because I wasn't paying attention, and Jade's heart bleeding out. A soft hand rests on my arm and I shoot my eyes open, keeping my vectors out and ready. I turn to 'Jade', smiling down at me. She giggles once she sees me awake and stands, ruffling the patch of hair between my horns.

"Look who finally woke up," she jokes.

I roll my eyes and sit up, smirking. Maybe this is Jade, maybe not, not like I'll find out just right now. I swing my legs off the bed to stand, following Jade out the door and into the wonderful sound of laughter. We slide down the rails like yesterday and walk into the room with the Christmas tree. Presents are stacked under it, and I swear. I forgot to get anyone anything. Kota laughs and turns to me, smiling.

"Lucy, when did you get the time to get us all of this?" he asks.

"Huh?" I raise a brow.

He hands me a present to him and I look at the label.

Merry Christmas!

Kota

From

Lucia

That's the one mistake calling me Lucia, but it's not like they know. I shrug and blink towards to Jade, who also shrugs. That's odd; only Jade calls me Lucia, yet she doesn't even know how they got there. Maybe someone's just toying with me (either that or 'Santa' just thought I needed a 'thank you' for a present). Yeah, just toying, just so I can't tell who the F*CK is my sister anymore. Mayu digs under the tree and pulls out three presents, handing one to Chi, one to Nana, and keeping the one with blue wrapping and a pink silk ribbon. I walk over and get on my knees, palms down and bending down to look for any remainders. There's still, like, twenty under there. I pull one out signed to Yuka from Kota, passing it to Yuka herself. She smiles and plucks at the ribbon, the soft silk unfolding easily. I drag another out to Mabel from 'Lucia' and I pass it to her, only hearing a gun shot and easily assuming she shot either that or me, but I'm not paying attention to that. I drag another out for Chi from 'Lucia' and pass it, receiving a tackle hug from Chi. Man that kid is the happy one. I pat the back of his head and he starts digging through the presents by my side. I pull one out for Jade from 'Lucia', which is even weirder, and pass it to her, refusing to look confused.

Well, maybe there's another Lucia. Maybe there's another Jade. Those are not that rare of name's in our world. I drag out another and see Anna from Mabel. I raise a brow and stare at Mabel, holding a present with a bullet hole in it. "Who's Anna?"

She jerks her head at Nana and I sigh. I pass it to Nana, who stares at Mabel curiously, then at me. I simply shrug and keep digging for presents. Chi pokes my shoulder and I turn to him, seeing him offering me a small present with Jade colored wrap and white ribbon. I stiffen and gingerly accept it, sitting up on my folded legs and tug the ribbon, seeing it unfold and uncurl into a straight line in mid-air. I place the ribbon on my shoulder and pull at the tag.

How do you like my impression of you, Sis? Is it getting better?

I blink, instantly knowing it was from Jade. Well, that answers where the presents came from. I cautiously open the lid and drop it, blinking and gaping. Kota notices and walks over, kneeling next to me. "What is it?"

I don't move, save the fact of breathing slowly. He follows my gaze to the box and falls behind on his butt. Inside the little box, inside that little box that came from Jade, and inside it is something I've been missing for a while. I pluck up the small box and poke at the contents, trying to make sure they were the real deal. Yuka gasps and Nana widens her eyes. Chi raises a brow and looks in. He stares at the stumps at my head and cringes. Mayu sits next to me and stares at one of the contents, which, is a bottle of bone glue. I stand up and run out of the room with the box, dashing up the steps and slamming the door to the bathroom. I stand in front of the sink and take the bottle of bone glue and a paintbrush Jade usually forgot up here. I dip the brush in the bone glue and spread it on my stumps, twitching as the sting kicks in. Once the glue is applied, I wash off the brush rapidly and throw it back into the toothbrush cup, taking out the contents of the box; my horns.

I press them harder and harder against the stumps, a faint _SLISH _symbolizing them locking in place. I take the ribbon on my shoulder and find it's actually two very sticky strands of wrap. I wrap them around each horn, making sure the sticky side was on the horns. I'm amazed on how well Jade got this accomplished, but I'm also so thankful, Thanksgiving thankful doesn't begin to cover it! I feel tears of joy/sorrow leak out of the brims of my eyes, wiping them away with my forearm. I stare into the mirror, seeing a pink-haired girl staring right back at me. Her red eyes are tearing up, her skin pale, but not the palest you'll ever see. She's wearing a red T with a wavy trim collar and three buttons rolling down to the top of her chest. The short sleeves share the wave trim, the edges curving up and down then up again, little holes in the trim fabric here and there while white threads formed flowers around them. The bottom of the shirt hangs over the top of the black jeans with two pockets at the front. Her horns are held by the same white ribbon holding my own, the pink hair flat around them. I look down at the black jeans to see a white, cut off flower at the very bottom of the left jean leg. The crimson sneakers have white laces bound together firmly by a double-knot. I glance at my wrist to the thin black rope tied around my wrist, making my wrist completely covered with multiple run around wrappings. I pick at the dog tag on my neck and twist it to see a heart with horns. I raise a brow. I've seen something like this before, I just can't remember where. I shuffle my hands through all my pockets, dragging out another dog tag from the front. I hold it in my palm, my hand in front of my stomach and my head facing the palm. Inside my right hand at this moment of right now, lies a dog tag with a little dragon attached to it, a removable slate in the dog tag frame. As I flip it upside down in mid-air, the dragon dangles in front of the slate vertically, the frame that I hold still horizontal.

I clutch the dog tag firmly, pressing my right fist against my forehead. Tears boil in my eyes, scorching the skin on my cheeks as they loll on the flesh and fall off my chin once they reach there. The floor gathers splatters of the tears and the bad memories, not protesting or having any signs of wanting to. I clutch the left side of my jeans with my left fist, shaking slightly. This dog tag was Jade's…I forcefully shut my eyes, letting tears rush out and force them open, gritting my teeth and hearing cars outside. I hear an explosion, heat hot against the right of my body, but I refuse to pay attention. I hear guns, my cheeks grow damper, and I throw open the bathroom door with my vector and see blurry dark shapes come up the stairs, struggling with a pink-bobbed one. I clutch the dragon dog tag harder, crying harder as well. My vectors shoot out and chop their heads off, sparing the pink bob. The pink bob runs next to me and screams some droned out CR*P. I cry harder, the fire tears nearly leaving burn marks on my face. I throw my right fist down, fall to my knees, and throw my head up, wailing in pain. That Jade downstairs isn't Jade, she tricked me…I let everyone down. I let everyone fall into this trap, even Chi. I see Chi himself running up the steps, crying.

"SISTER RUN!" he cries.

A shot rings, his voice chokes, a sudden thud ends it all. The pink bob screams and runs towards him, a shot ringing, her scream piercing the air. I look down and push my body up sideways, nearing the dark figures. "LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"

Crimson waves crash everywhere. I run down the steps, rubbing fire out of my eyes. Heat crawls through my body, and thick orange-yellow arms reach from the walls, patches of the floor like a fire-kraken. I run into the Christmas tree room and spot a body sprawled on the floor. A crimson circle is in between two hard grass irises. I scream and my vectors pull out, swatting at every dark figure around me. Crimson waves bubble in the kraken's arms, the bubbles exploding to splatter crimson droplets on the corpses clothing and my own. I shut my eyes and let the fire leak out of my eyes, my cheeks burning. I hear someone struggling and look up to Kota and Yuka, being shoved in a blurry vehicle. I scream and charge, vectors shooting out. I smash the black figures' heads and Kota and Yuka start to run inside, probably looking for that pink bob Nana and Mayu. I scream and fend off the swarms of facility workers. As they multiply, I fight harder and harder, blocking each fired bullet and each strong temptation to plop my own head off.

Mayu runs out, nearly dodging a bullet. Mabel runs out with a shotgun and shoots a black figure's head clean off. She cocks it with a simple jerk and keeps up her side of the assault. My horns cling to my stumps, refusing to be blown off a second time. The structure of the house begins to crumble. My vectors grow angrier and start lopping off heads and ripping off random body parts and they leave the victims to bleed to death. Mayu digs under the boards of the porch to discover a pistol and boxes of ammo, shooting at the opposite side while in cover behind the old rocking chair. The rain of bullets crashes hardest upon me during the time, but my vector umbrella stands strong, not a tear in sight. Kota and Yuka run out with Nana, Nana running up and fighting them off as well. Kota digs under the porch to find some sniper rifle, proving my newly formed theory that Mabel had been expecting more attacks at some point. Yuka has a pistol I remember was hidden in the walls and ducks in well made cover, trying her best.

That's when the happiness of Christmas turns into a bloody battle. My vectors swing at some car and it explodes. Strangely, nobody is out, which is a good thing. I spy a young child peering out of the curtains of one house, but someone pulls him/her back inside to the center. I don't know what they think is happening, but I can insure them that these facility soldiers are not here to 'detain some crazy psycho'. Mabel cocks her shotgun again and ends up pulling the shotgun to a hope-dropping click. Someone shoots her shin and she winces, limping back onto the porch to the ammunition spot, reloading her shotgun. I see a bullet from a .44 wiz past me and land right in the center of someone's eyes. I hear Nana gasp and scream, slaughtering some nearing facility D*CKS with her vectors. More .44 bullets wiz by and a single .55 bullet lolls next to my head, crashing into some facility worker. I turn to see Chi, leaning against the door frame for support and holding a .44 in his left and a .55 in his right. His expression is furious, and I see a bullet wound at the side of his chin, being the cause of its dislocation. I nod at him, fire drops streaming down my cheeks still, and he smiles as if he accomplished something, continuing his reign of fire towards the opposing side.

That's when all grows cold. It's not death, I realize quickly, but a sudden storm. True, it was supposed to snow later today, but this is the sign of a hail storm. I squint at the other side to see a maniacally smirking Jade, her fan open all the way to its one hundred seventy degree angle. I snarl and more fire drops crash to the ground, the sound of Chi jumping under the porch as the house collapses partially. I grit my teeth firmly and direct a vector straight at her, missing by a centimeter. I swing at a row of cars and soldiers, focused on her for the most part. I charge at the line, Mabel scolding me to come back and not be stupid. I'm not stupid, I'm furious. I kick her shin and Jade winces, swinging the fan at my torso and I dodge some white deadly lash of sharp wind.

"YOU'RE A TRAITOR!" I shriek at Jade. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? TO YOUR OWN FAMILY, TO YOUR FRIENDS EVEN, YOU SICK B*TCH!"

She cackles. "Who said they were _my _friends? They might be _yours_, but _I _hate _them_."

I shriek and swing at her continuously, dragging down a few surrounding soldiers with screams of pain. I kick and scratch and punch and swing my vectors, but she dodges half of them, her face bruising and her blossom pulsating. Green scales lurk up her arms in one, fangs revealing. Her left iris morphs crimson, her maniacal grin taunting me to rip her head off with _my _teeth. My blood boils, and I realize that same boiling is leaking out of my eyes. It hurts, and my vision blurs red, but I will always make out 'Jade's figure. I spot a figure inside her Blossom; the Blossom of the Blossom. I see the inner Jade, screaming and her neck bleeding badly. Her voice isn't audible, but I can read her lips.

"T-That's not the real me, Lucia!" she cries, tears falling onto her neck wound. "T-That's not me! P-Please trust me, Lucia! T-That's a chameleon Gem Blossom! P-Please Lucia! T-TRUST ME, PLEASE! I-I'M BEGGING YOU, LUCIA!"

I feel the hot fire drops leak down, mixing with the crimson now escaping the edges of my eyes. I roar and swing at the chameleon, angry, furious, and ravenous for her blood shed. She cackles and reveals her true self to have long flowing silver hair which its bangs droop over silver orbs. A silver summer dress is hanging over a tall and thin skeleton, the flesh tan unlike any other Gem Blossom I've seen and her lips crimson like blood. The fan in her hands is the real fan of Jade herself, making me angrier. The inner Jade is dragged off, leaving a moist trail of thick blood. This Gem Blossom has silver combat boots, silver marker across the tops of her cheeks like military black marks on the faces. Her eyes are wide, which makes her appearance even more psychotic than it was. Her blood lips stretch over skeletal white teeth, those teeth an enlarged version of a chameleon's. I see a faint outline of a tail, which materializes into a silver chameleon tail. It whacks at me, but I jump up into the air and smash her against a wall with my four vectors. She doesn't wince, she only cackles as if this is a game. She bites into one, but I feel no pain. She blinks, surprised for a second, and then whacks my vectors away with her silver tail. I land on the ground, snarling, and wait for her to charge. She also awaits my charge, so we're left standing about one meter from the battle field. A soldier or two tries to sneak up on me, but I shoot my vectors through them, still facing the chameleon. She cackles, eyes closed, and I slap her hard with a vector, dislocating her jaw. She blinks and I snap off her tail, making her scream. I bet her name's Silver, mostly of how easy she rips apart with my vectors in hand. She shakes her head and smirks at me.

"I forgot to introduce myself," a voice rings, but her jaw just sways with dislocation. "I am Silver," (what'd I tell you?). "You're Lu, I can tell."

"It's Lucy to you, B*TCH," I snarl aloud.

"Oh and why is that, _Lu_?" she taunts. "I am the more powerful here and you know it. Why, without this fan, you'd probably have a chance to actually _beat _me, so I have to thank you for allowing me the pleasant-"

Something goes off in her dress pocket and she screams as her right arm with the fan is blown off. I dash for it, sliding and gripping the fan, but a combat boot comes down heavy on my throat, something injecting in my shoulder. I scream at the pain the needle causes, though my vectors go into cover as they do in the normal state of pain. I scream as the boot comes down harder and harder, reducing my scream to mere wheezes, and restraints are placed on my limbs, lifting me up and heaving me into a car of some sort. Kota runs for me and is also captured. With the lessening of the fire, Chi is abducted in a separate car, Mayu dragged off in the same one, Yuka forced into another separate one with Kota inside, and Mabel fending off until someone blows off her right shin, making her fall to the ground and keep firing her shotgun until they went over and lopped off both hands, making her scream and put restraints on her as well. A taunting voice came into my head, and it was nowhere near the good taunting.

"_It's your fault, Lucy," _the little girl, or Jade's little sister, from the orphanage sounds. _"It's as much as your fault as you're the reason for four little kids' deaths."_

I glance down at my right fist to find the dragon dog tag still in it, the left fist with the fan running through each end. I let everyone down. This is the point where the happiness of Christmas fades into the betrayal of a stupid mistake. I let everyone down, and if I don't fix it soon, they'll all pay the price of my emotions that switched so quickly from happy to betrayed.


	6. Back

_Back_

They force me in some gray-brick room, shutting the door securely. I glance at the little girl on one of the beds, clutching for dear life to a tiny stuffed tiger. She stares at me with wide amber eyes, her amber hair in a small bob and an amber rabbit Blossom in the usual place, the left forearm. I stare back at her, seeing the amount of fear she holds. She's six-years-old, I can tell. Her little eyes look moist with tears and her cheeks shimmer with the damp on them. I glance behind me at the gray solid door, my vectors still unable to come out. Man that needle really cemented them in. I feel my horns to make sure they were still on what with the bumpy three-day-trip here. The girl brings her knees tighter against her chest, her little bunny sitting on top of them. I glance at the empty bed next to her, a faint hollow in the sheets. I sit against the wall next to the door where it doesn't open up to and form a slightly opened diamond with my legs, my palms down on the gray ground and my back is pressed to the gray wall, my head hanging. The girl relaxes slightly and stares at me with those moist amber orbs, the bunny staring at me with black marbles. After fifteen minutes, I look up at her blankly.

"Are you Amber?" I ask. She tenses and nods. "I'm Lucy. It's nice to meet you Amber."

She squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head. "Don't become my friend."

I raise a brow. I glance back at the hollowed bed and stare at her. "They took the last friend you made, huh?"

She nods. "They want me to hurt people…It's not right!"

I frown, knowing the feeling of hurting people when you really don't want to. "You're right, it's not."

She hugs her bunny tighter, obviously frightened. I lift my right palm to see the dragon dog tag, feeling tears well up at the brim of my eyes. She looks at me, confused. "What happens to the taken?" she asks.

I stare up at her. "The taken being those they take outside their cells?" She nods, hugging her little bunny. "They do a variety of things to them. They could be just observing social behavior with your friend."

She shakes her head. "She's dead."

I blink. "Well, I'm sorry for your loss."

She grits her teeth. "Anything else they do?"

I nod. "They could be testing strength, speed, intellect, social behaviors, eating habits, anything to give them information on what breed they're dealing with. I'm a Diclonius, and I can tell you're a Gem Blossom. Test-tube made by the looks of it."

She blinks. "What did you just say?"

"Test-tube made," I repeat. "There's only one natural born, you do know that right?"

She nods. "How would you know if you're a Diclonius?"

I bite my lip for a second. "Her parents adopted me."

She widens her eyes with happiness and hope. "You're saying you're one of the Queen Race twins?"

I raise a brow. "Huh?"

She hops off the bed, running in front of me and dropping to her knees, clutching the bunny to her chest. "You don't know? We call the Queen of Diclonius who's the sister of the Queen of the Gem Blossoms the Queen Race twins!"

I blink. "But we're not twins, nor actually related."

"How would you know?" she smirks. "You don't remember you're parents, so there's a fair chance."

I smile. She's right there is a chance I'm actually related to Jade. I ruffle her amber bob and she smiles. The door unlatches and she quickly hops on the bed, clutching her bunny tightly. Some scientist walks in, staring at me. I scoot away carefully and he walks in, shutting the door behind him. Amber brings her bunny and knees to her chest, quivering. The scientist keeps were I am in his sights, probably knowing I have a reputation.

"Amber, come along," he requests.

She shakes her head. "NO!"

"Amber," he repeats.

I stand. "She said no, doc."

He stares at me. "Well, Lucy, nobody asked you." The door bangs behind him. I hear someone scream behind closed lips and I widen my eyes. The scientist kicks the door behind him and glares at Amber. "Amber, come on!"

She shakes her head. "NO!"

I glare at the scientist. "She said no, B*STARD."

He snarls at me. "Well, subject-"

Something twists his arm backwards, and I glance at Amber, who's standing, bunny at her side. "SHE HAS A NAME!" Amber screams. "CALL HER BY HER NAME!"

His leg bends backwards, and he screams, crumbling to the floor. Amber bows her head at me and I smash his head with a free vector. It sucks that only one is able to come out, but it's better than nothing. The door opens and a soldier comes in. I slash the vector and make him go in half. Another scientist comes in and I pin her to the wall, glaring at her.

"Where's she?" I demand.

"W-Who?" she asks.

I bang her head against the wall. "JADE! WHERE'S JADE?"

She blinks and shivers in fright. "Will you calm down if I let you see her?"

I nod. I drop her and allow her to inject a needle into my shoulder, making the vector go back in. Amber tenses but the scientist just starts dragging me out the door. Amber runs out behind me and clutches to my gray shirt, refusing to stay in. The scientist doesn't argue and we follow her down the blue halls. Soldiers exchange glances of mistrust for me and Amber, but Amber's scowl is enough to make them tense and stiffen. I pat the back of her head and we look into the windows of doors, seeing Diclonius and Gem Blossoms, but mostly Gem Blossoms. Jeez these guys look starved and tortured. I shake that thought out of my head and the scientist stops, making us stop. She takes out a card and swipes it though the machine, walking through and clearing a path for us to go through. The room is small and has sky blue metal walls. It's an observing room, a rectangle of bullet proof glass above some machine. Past the glass are containers, the biggest having '672' scrawled on with crayon. The scientist pushes a button and the container opens up, revealing a concealment center much like the one I had. The table was vertical, metal bars and supports surrounded it, and there was a figure with a helmet much like mine on. The figure's strapped down, and the helmet is slightly different, seeing that a high ponytail coming from the back top of the head with a coiling snake figurine holding it up. I press a hand against the glass and the scientist pushes another button, a speaker fumbling to life.

"Jade, someone's here to see you," she speaks into the microphone.

"Okay, Mom," a gentle voice comes through.

I widen my eyes and turn to the scientist. "Did she just call you _Mom_?" I demand.

The scientist closes her eyes. "You might not understand this, but this was the only way to see my daughter again. I started a month ago and so far, by what she says, it's been the best month since two years ago. I doubt you know what happened then."

I scowl. "Mrs. Manitou, I escaped two years ago."

She blinks and looks up. "Are you a friend of Jade's?"

I blink. Amber tugs my sleeve and I pat her head. "Look, you adopted a Diclonius six or seven years ago, you haven't seen her since. Don't you think you should evaluate?"

She raises a brow and I realize I probably used a word wrong. I sigh and pluck out a picture of me in the orphanage and hand it to her. She gasps and stares at me. "Lucy?" I nod. "LUCY!"

Jade freezes and we both realize the microphone has been on. Jade struggles to rush out of her bonds and like Houdini, she comes out rapidly and rushes to the window, panting and checking behind her. She crosses her arms, and I guess she can't see through. Mom tries to find the right button, but it's sort of hidden. I go to the microphone, smiling. "Hey Jade."

"H-Hi Lucy," she smiles. "Sorry I can't see you right now, this glass really has its quirks."

I laugh, and Amber comes up. "Hi, I'm Amber!"

Jade smiles kindly at the glass, "I guess you're a Gem Blossom Amber?"

Amber nods. "Yep, I'm one of the newest!"

Jade and I smile, the glass finally revealing us and Jade smiles wider. "You haven't changed a bit, Lucia. Well, save the fact that you're hair is shorter."

I push a lock out of my face and grin. "Yeah, and last time I checked, you didn't have a gash in your neck."

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, you should see the experiments they conduct while Mom's not looking."

I turn to Mom. "What do you exactly do here, may I ask?"

Mom smiles kindly, like always. How was she home then? "I'm in charge of Jade and maybe a few other Gem Blossoms and Diclonius. So far, I'm 'the nicest scientist this facility has to offer'."

I smile at Mom and turn to Jade, who's glancing cautiously over her shoulder. I notice the other containers have crayon labels as well, but they're not as big as the '672' on Jade's containment cell. "What's wrong?" Amber frowns.

Jade turns to us. "Those tests…they conduct them at random, usually timing it when Mom-"

A container opens, making Amber squeak. I hide her behind me and the door shuts, revealing blood on the back. Mom and my eyes widen, Amber screaming loudly. Something leaks out of the container and then, a bid container is hurtling towards us. We duck in front of the machine and the container breaks through the glass. I cover Amber between Mom and me, the container smashing the door with much force. I remember the fan in my hand and spot a random button on the machine. I push the green button and a door opens, allowing me to run through. I run next to Jade and toss her the sand wood fan, immediately allowing her to open it all the way and slash it at some shadow. Lights flicker to life and we see some large slug, big muscles of gelatin goop and crimson beads for eyes. I blink.

"Somebody's been extremely busy," I mutter.

Jade grabs my wrist. "Come on!"

We charge at the beast, the door shutting and we determined to bring the slug down. I hear a door open and refuse to turn, knowing it was scientists and soldiers coming into the observation room. The microphone's still on, so we hear every word. "WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Mom snaps silently. It's scary that she doesn't even raise her voice. "I was showing Lucy Jade, because she promised to calm down, and Amber wanted to come, and neither of them acted out. Now, a monster is attacking and Jade is simply having an assist, which I'd like an explanation on _why my daughters are being attacked by an enlarged slug_."

Go Mom! The slug smashes at me so I jump, accidently landing on its back and sinking to my ankles. I try to yank them out, but they're stuck like my horns are to my head. A gust of wind blows me out and I look to Jade, scowling at the beast. She pockets the fan, probably knowing not to depend on it all the time and I grab one of the metal supports, yanking it away with my bare hands and charging at the slug, passing another support to Jade. We slam the beast with the supports and the scientists watch with interest, Amber and Mom the only ones searching for a way to stop the slug. We beat at the slug and it pushes us to the window, our heads hitting it hard and Nyuu threatening to come up. I curse and sigh, stopping Nyuu on her way.

"Listen to every word I say, got that?" I command.

She nods with her face tight and determined. Good thing she's learning, otherwise she would be totally clueless. I let her rise to the surface and her big red eyes open up. Jade glances at her, obviously seeing the change so she raises a brow. "Lucy, are you alright down there?"

"Nyuu," Nyuu grumbles.

Jade widens her eyes in fright. "Ah SH*T this is bad."

The slug swats Jade against the right wall, Nyuu rushing to her feet. Nyuu clutches the bar and listens as I tell her to attack the slug, saying it was probably going to eat everyone if it was left alive. Nyuu nods and charges for the slug while the vectors coming out and surprising me. The vectors never came out when Nyuu was out…I smirk, realizing just her using the metal support could train her slightly better than using the vectors, since how would she know how to defend herself if the vectors couldn't come out again. She jumps and swings at a crimson eyes, eye nerves and blood pushing Nyuu back to the ground. She spits out a nerve and gags. She jumps back up and digs the support into the goop, the monster cackling some weird way and shaking her off, making her crash into another container. Jade weakly gets up, her neck wound reopening by the looks of it. Nyuu grits her teeth behind closed lips and pushes herself up, grabbing the metal support once more and whistling. The slug turns to her and Jade slams her metal support down on his head, making him wince and bring the gelatin arms onto the spot. Do slugs even have arms? No, but this does. Nyuu runs from behind and Jade whistles, getting the strategy. Nyuu takes a quick side-step and slams the support on its heavy thick neck, more goop and nerves sputtering out and pushing Nyuu down into another container, this time the top. Nyuu sighs and glances at Amber, biting her lip and storming up, gripping the support and jumping up, raising the support and landing on its head. The slug jerks to get her off, but she's cemented into the goop. Jade swings at the slug during the distraction while Nyuu continues to beat on the head until it sways in dizziness. Nyuu lifts up the support for one more blow when the slug jerks his head hard one way and throws Nyuu into a wall head first. I start to come up and nod, showing that she did well. Nyuu smiles and shuts her eyes, while I open my own.

I grit my teeth and leap up, swinging the support down hard into its other eye. As the guts pour out and it thrashes, I dig my heels into the surface and grip onto the support. When it throws it's head back, I retch out the support and jump down, sliding the support down being showered with goop gore. Jade jumps up and whacks the head, and cuts into the other eye, burying her body for some plan and I can't see her anymore. Suddenly, the slug's head explodes and Jade is thrown into me and we're thrown into the glass, shattering in and landing on our sides. The scientists stare at us as we get up, coughing and spitting out slug gore. We shove the supports at two of the soldiers' chest and sit down, Amber running over and patting our heads. We exchange glances and both pat Amber's head. Amber smiles and suddenly, a hand wraps around hr wrist. We all look up to Mom.

"Why don't we get you girls back to your room?" she smiles. "You to Jade, you can sleep with them."

Jade smiles and covers her mouth to prevent from screaming with delight. I smile and stand, although a soldier glares at me. I frown and Jade notices, following my frown to the soldier. Jade rolls her eyes and grips the fan. "Calm down, soldier. She's my sister."

He grunts and we turn around to walk back to the cell. Mom tells us she's going to stay with us so we don't have to worry much, which is more directed at Amber than the twenty-year-olds. I notice she's forty, so I raise a brow. I do the math and remember some fuzzy details. She was twenty when Jade was born, so at thirteen she would be in her early thirties, so a simple miscalculation in memory. Jade giggles and I roll my eyes. She knows me so well. Well, I'm back here in the facility. One question, where are the others?


	7. Files

_Files_

I pick at my food cautiously. It jumps at the touch and scoots away, making me push the plate far right next to Jade's plate. She stares at it and blinks up at me, her molten jade orbs friendly, shy, yet confused. "Something wrong with your gelatinous goop?" she teases.

I raise a pink brow. "Are you serious? The thing is moving."

"Well, you can't eat it dead now can you?" she chuckles.

Amber is swinging her legs under the table in between us on the bench opposite of the wall the other side pushes against. She nibbles at a turkey-leg that she morphed the goop into and smiles at us, her face completely moist with chicken grease. I glance at Jade and she rolls her eyes. I chuckle and Amber stares at us, trying to make out what our glances said. To sum it all up, I was silently asking Jade to turn my goop into a nice juicy turkey-leg like Amber did with hers. Mom walks into the room, waving to several Diclonius and Gem Blossoms also cooped up inside the gray cafeteria. I still can't believe the facility decided to put us all in one room to be nicer just so they'd keep doing tests. The cafeteria isn't large, mostly due to the lack of Diclonius and forty something Gem Blossoms, but it works. Mom sits at our bench and pats Amber's little amber head, making her shut her eyes with pleasure. Mom takes out a small ink press or something and presses it on my arm, the words 'Great Job!' being left behind. She exchanges it with a crimson ink one and presses it on Jade's arm, 'Do not get near, she bites' being left.

"Hey!" exclaims Jade.

"Ha, ha, I got a good job!" I gloat, soaking in the moment.

"If you say so Lucia," Jade grumbles while shaking her head at me.

The cafeteria door opens once more and Jade's breathing stops. Amber turns and screams, other of our kinds turning for the door. I raise a brow and turn to the door, Opal walking through. Mom bites her lip and looks down at the table, twiddling her thumbs. Opal sits next to Jade and Jade scoots away, staring wide eyes at Opal. "What?" a light voice asks. "Is it the mouth?"

I blink. "Savior, is that you?"

She nods. "Savior Manitou is the full name, Kaede."

I widen my eyes. "H-How do you know my name?"

She chuckles; of course her mouth doesn't budge. "You'll see soon. Jade, how's the neck?"

Jade blinks and slowly nods, that's when I notice the beige wrap around her neck. "Have a good day, Savior."

Savior nods and stands up, walking out of the cafeteria. Gem Blossoms and Diclonius alike stare at us. I raise a brow and realize something; Savior had something coming out of her back. I shake the thought out of my head and witness Jade push my plate back, the goop trying to bite me now. Mom injects it with the same thing they inject in Diclonius to keep the vectors in and it stops dead. I blink and look up at her, trying to find out if she wants me to eat it. She giggles and picks up the plate, poking it with a pill of sorts. It rejects it and falls off, scuttling to some five-year-old Diclonius plate. The Diclonius begins to cry and the turquoise Gem Blossom with a Blossom of a raven patting her back. I notice her dress has slits in the back, as if they were expecting wigs to pop out. I glance at Jade and she feels at her own back, her face twisting. I pat her back behind Amber and she smiles, obviously trusting me. That's when the cafeteria door opens once more, and the sound of crutches and a wheelchair comes into earshot. Jade, Mom, Amber, and I turn to see Mabel and Chi, Mabel in the wheel chair and Chi in the crutches. A soldier I remember as the one from two days ago when I saw Jade again pushes Chi down and he yelps, shutting his eyes and the crutches flying out of his hands and spiraling at a fourteen-year-old Gem Blossoms feet. Her hair is forest green, unlike Jade's light green, and her eyes match, as usual. Her Blossom is that of a hummingbird, and she's quick to pick up the crutches and sprint over (her version of walking by the looks of it), returning the crutches and helping him up.

"Thanks," Chi smiles kindly.

"Don't mention it," she replies, blushing.

"Hey, Mrs. Manitou," Mabel grumbles. "How's the family?"

Mrs. Manitou sighs, knowing she could never have Mabel forgive her for disowning her. "You wanted it," is all Mom whispers before exiting.

Mabel rolls over and glares at Jade. "You're the reason we're here."

Jade raises a green brow. "Huh?"

"You know," Mabel snarls, Chi using his crutches to come over. I stare at the wheels and see they had a blinking light on each, Mabel's forehead decorated with machinery. "I lost a calf and both hands because of you!"

Jade shakes her head. "I've been in here non-stop for years."

Mabel scowls and glances at me. "You did well, Sis."

I nod, smiling. "I say the same for you General Mabel." She smiles, but I frown. "I have to tell you though Mabel, someone named Silver was the one who tricked us."

"Huh?" Chi squeaks. I swear I see that Gem Blossom giggle.

"Silver has a chameleon Blossom," Jade explains. "Since she was pretending to have mine, I was able to make a connection."

Mabel raises a brow. "Wait, so you're saying I got my as* whooped by a chameleon?"

I shake my head. "You got slightly nudged by a whole band of soldiers that out numbered you."

She nods and peers at my plate. "Is that supposed to be Kermit the Frog deep fried?"

I roll my eyes and Amber laughs. Amber pats her bunny on the head while it sits next to her with surprisingly dry hands and laughs more, Chi smirking. "At least someone's enjoying themselves," Chi chuckles.

Chi sits backwards on the bench next to me and I stare at the gray table. "Where are the others?" I wonder.

Mabel bites her lip. "They're being interrogated."

Oh. Later tonight, I wake up after the reliving of that moment when all He** broke loose on Christmas. Jade is back in her cell, and Amber sits on the opposite bed, sleeping against the wall limply with her bunny in her lap. I stare up at the gray ceiling. At lunch, Savior said that I'd later find out why she called me Kaede. Well, it's later isn't it? Nyuu sits inside, nodding and 100% backing me up on this, reckless as this is. I think that slug attack really changed her. I push off the covers and glance out of the tall window three meters high. The moon beckons me to do it, knowing full well I need to know the truth. I nod at the light smiling and dash to the door, examining the edges. I peer out the window to see two guards, sleeping on the job. This is perfect! I step back and clutch the ornament in my pocket. I slide my vectors out without anyone knowing that I am able to at this time and tug off the hinges, catching the door before it clutters on the floor. I set it down and run out, being extremely cautious of how loud my shoes are and where I step. I sprint down the hall, remembering to shut the door and count the numbers on the sides of the doors. Cell block thirty-two, cell block thirty-three…this might take a bit. Going down deeper into the frigid halls, I ponder about what she meant…Savior I mean. Think about it, she was talking to me as if she knew me. Could it be that she was my sister instead of Jade? I glance around and find that I'm at cell block fifteen. I took the right! Man I'm stupid. I turn around, jerking off my shoes and holding them tight as my socks slide, skid, and beat on the cool tile floor. Time passes by as I think of the possibilities on who my family could be, then I remind myself of Maximum Ride, how she was some bird mutant because of this lab called the School (James Patterson, you ROCK!). She didn't know anything about herself in the first book; she even had to make up a name! At least I remembered my name was Kaede (before I changed it). I'm lucky in a way, yet unlucky all at once.

I slam into a door, looking up to see '672'. I blink and force the doors open, stepping through while the doors shut and pushing the microphone button. "Rise and shine, grass head, we have a job to do!"

I watch as Jade releases herself from her restraints and she furrows her brows at the rectangle of glass. "Lucia, what's going on?"

"Easy, you're helping me get files," I smile, opening the door and stepping through. "Call me selfish all you want, but there's a chance I'm actually related to you, you know?"

Jade shakes her head and opens the door for us. "I don't get you Lucy…I mean, even if we weren't blood sisters, we're sisters for life!"

I roll my eyes. "I remember nothing about who I was before I changed my name, Jade. I need to know, and I want you to learn with me."

She blinks and follows me out the door, clutching my wrist as we run down the hall. We rush past steel doors, secure windows, and guards sleeping on the job. I clutch the figurine in my pocket with my other hand and keep progressing, careful not to make too much noise. Jade bites her lip nervously and glances around, trying to see if anyone is waking up or perhaps actually awake at this time of night like me. We skid to a stop in front of a door and duck inside, shutting the door tightly. Jade and I put out backs against the cool steel and look in front of us to boxes of files, files on the floor, and files hanging from the ceiling, which is a bit overdoing it in my point of view. I walk to a desk and pick up the name placard: _**Tithing, Jae**_. I raise a brow and set the placard down, walking over to a box labeled KM-KZ. I pick it up and thumb through, not getting anything. There are 56 boxes; the excess files I can tell are for workers, soldiers, and ext. Jade digs into a box with LM-LZ on it, retching out a single folder. She opens it and drops it, wide eyed. I walk over and go to her side, only being replied with her passing the folder to me. We hear something crash and we jump, crashing into boxes and forcing them to tumble down, smashing into a stand and smashing a vase of dying flowers to the ground. I mutter a slight curse and Jade jerks me to my feet, still searching. I pull through the AA-AL box and drag out Amber's file. Jade searches through AM-AN, which I raise a brow at.

"Jade, we only have so much time," I point out.

"Yeah, I'm looking for your friend's file," she whispers.

I groan. "HER NAME IS NA-NA! NOT AN-NA!"

She waves her arms in disbelief and stares at me, gaping and her eyes screaming 'WHAT THE F*CKING HE**?' She shakes her head and shoves the box away, scouring for NA-NL. I spot the SA-SL and thumb through. I can't find Savior's file anywhere. I thumb through twice, and then for a third time, still unsuccessful. I turn cautiously for SM-SZ and thumb through, Savior's file stopping dead as I pinch it with my thumb and right index finger. I pluck it out and pile the files on top of each other. Jade places the files she found on top of my own and we glance around. I sigh and start grabbing boxes with my vectors. I end up grabbing AA-AL to MM-MZ. Jade picks up NA-NL to RM-RZ and we carefully walk out, heading for her cell since it's certainly bigger. I start reading Nana's file and see that she had just as much info filled out as a celebrity. Her picture had her smiling, which I find weird, and it says she's 'Kurama's daughter'. Huh, so he actually adopted her huh? I shake the thought out of my head as Jade comes to a stop in front of her cell door. She opens it with a wave of her fan that she hides in her sleeve and we slide through, a vector hitting the door button with the back of its hand and allowing us to hide the boxes behind her containment center. I spy my cream colored back pack that she hands to me and smiles, climbing back up into the containment unit. Before the mask slips on, she faces me.

"You know, I think we're doing something good," she tells me, facing back forward and allowing her Blossom to pulsate, the mask slipping on.

I nod and walk out, shutting every door before I walk back to my cell, hands in pockets. We are doing something good, something that will clear the conscience of many innocent mutants who barely remember anything and want to know what they're thought of as. I gently open my door and shut it firmly, slipping back under the covers and glancing up at the moonlight streaming out of the window. I silently pray that the others will be thankful, that everyone will get out alive, that my family will survive, and I will figure out the truth to who I am. I shut my eyes and take deep, slow breaths until I'm soundly sleeping in the hard bed. Hey, it's better than the containment unit.

The next morning is quick to come, my fatigue surprisingly lacking even with all the hustle and bustle of…what…four hours ago? Amber yawns as we both feel the warmth of the sun on our skin. It's a nice feeling, being cooped up in this dark facility for three days now, coming into my fourth. I sit up and stretch, something slipping off my chest. I stare down at some paper and pick it up, not really surprised it's a letter from one of the other scientists.

Subject,

You are due to see the director immediately after awakening. Once you wake up, inform the soldiers of this letter so they can escort you to Director Kakuzawa's office for the importance of _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ _ you stole.

Scientist Taw Tae

"…" is the only thing in the room, for Amber was reading over my shoulder. I have a good feeling on what _'I' _stole. I sigh and stand, Amber clinging to my calf. I smirk and limp to the door, not feeling up to arguing right now. I knock on the door and the soldiers ignore me. "Hey dip SH*TS, there's a letter here saying I need to go to the F*CKING director."

I press the letter words towards them against the glass and after they read it, the door opens and they let me out, staring at Amber. "I want to go!" Amber shrieks before they even protest.

Knowing what she can do, they don't argue. They point their guns down, feeling secure, and they escort us to the Director's office. A few Diclonius and Gem Blossoms stare at us through the windows, almost looking sympathetic. I see the five-year-old Diclonius from yesterday with a small file and smile. Either Jade handed them out, or it was something the girl wanted. The five-year-old squeezed her eyes shut in pain that I was probably going to get hurt (it's easy to tell). Next thing the soldiers and I know, the door bursts down and we hear her screaming. The soldiers move to shoot, but I look down at Amber, who nods and falls off, wobbling over to the Diclonius. She leans down, since the height isn't that big of a difference, and smiles. Amber whispers something to the five-year-old and the little one silently sniffles while rubbing tears out of her eyes. The little one goes on her toes to whisper something in Amber's ear and Amber nods, smiling still. The little one takes her wrist and walk over, both clinging to my calf. I roll my eyes smiling and start limping off again, Amber silently explaining the ruckus.

"Her name's Liz," Amber informs. "She doesn't like torture and some scientist screwed up a project and now she can scream ten times louder than any other good lunged Diclonius."

"Hey Liz," I wave to Liz, her tiny hand waving back. "Listen, Liz, they're just dragging me off to the Director's office to discuss something that probably happened. Do you still want to come?"

Liz nods and I lean down to ruffle the area of her head between the horns. She giggles the way five-year-olds giggle and I continue to limp to the director's office. After five to ten minutes, a door opens and we walk through, the director standing behind a desk and staring out a fairly large window. I feel paper rub against my leg briefly and something's corner poke my left hand. I look down at my left leg to see Liz offering me the small file I saw her hold through the window. I pluck it from her hands and stare at the tab. It reads: _**Professor Kakuzawa. **_I shake my head.

"Liz, this is **Director **Kakuzawa, not his son," I correct.

The director hears me and turns, his face filled with anguish. "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…didn't they teach you in the orphanage NOT to steal?"

I shake my head. "The boys did it to me all the time, _director_."

He furrows his brows, furious. "Well, it is wrong, Lucy, and last night you stole more files than countable!"

I roll my eyes. "What proof do you have?"

He turns to a television screen and flips a switch on his desk, footage from a security camera capturing me. I'm thumbing through SA-SL twice before turning to another box. Oops. He flicks it off and scowls at me, arms crossed. "I know you could not have stolen all those boxes of files one your own Lucy. Who was your…"

He stares at the file in my hand, then at the two little ones. I growl. "Do you really think they would've done-"

The door opens and Jade walks through with two soldiers. She has her mask on, the front damp. I raise a brow and Jade crosses her arms. "Kakuzawa, what's the meaning of firing Mom?" she demands.

I gasp and turn to Kakuzawa in rage. "YOU DID WHAT?"

He growls. "She wasn't doing her job."

I snarl, and then Liz pokes my leg. I look down, blank as a banner, and she points to a closet. I raise a brow and stare down, but she just keeps pointing at it. I pluck the two girls off and dash for the closet, the guards fighting the girls to get their guns up. I swing the door open and, guess what, there's Mom gagged and tied up. I blink. Presto he lies about that? I rip off her gag and untie her bonds, her furious look of furrowing her brows and setting her jaw at an angle full blown out cold. I step back and Mom sighs, pushing herself up and 'glaring' down at her white coat as she brushed it off.

"Kakuzawa, I will NOT step down from my position," she 'hisses'. "They are my daughters and I have another somewhere here."

I blink. "How many boys did you want Mom?"

She smirks and turns to me. "Two boys and five girls was your father's wish. My wish was two boys and two girls to be fair."

Crazy dog killer, Jade, Mabel, and two other girls are the Manitou girls? I think that picture in the office needs some editing if it's still in existence. "You have five girls?"

She nods. "What can you do with twins, you know?"

I blink. It's quite obvious that the other two are the twins. I turn to Kakuzawa. "Sure, I stole the files, but I was only borrowing them, which in reality _isn't _stealing and I was planning to return them tomorrow or the day after. Honest to Gad I was thinking that."

He scowls and sighs. "Return those files by the end of the day."

I nod and the girls grab on to both legs, Jade laughing. I point to my eyes and direct my right middle and index fingers at her. I wobble out, the soldiers cracking smirks, and Mom covers her mouth to prevent from bursting into fits of laughter. Jade follows and we start to head for her cell, the girls still clinging. Jade and I stare at the girls, just wondering if we were like that as kids. After what feels like forever, we reach the '672' cell, opening the door and Amber with Liz rushing for the boxes. They dig for their files, which I can tell they're excited, and drag out small files with _Kio, Amber _and _Tae, Eliza_. Liz laughs at hers for some reason and Amber just reads through, trying to see her parents, sisters, brothers, grandpas, grandmas, even reaching for the greats. Jade and I pick up boxes and start walking to the cafeteria considering the time. Guards keep a careful eye on us, a bit surprised by the floating boxes. Jade waves the fan and they nod, thinking her fan was doing all of this. Ha, those suckers! The boxes feel lighter and so we walk faster than last night, arousing some suspicion of the fast movement, but we're just excited to show the 'projects' what they need to know. The cafeteria door opens and Diclonius along with Gem Blossoms look over. The gasp as they see the boxes of files and run over, surrounding us. Jade raises her fan and opens it halfway upwards to make the boxes set themselves in order on the bench pushed up against the back wall where we sat yesterday. Everyone charges for the boxes, looking for their files. Jade and I fight to get to the boxes with our files and drag them out, rushing out of the mob.

I open my own and sit down at a gray, square table pushed up against the left wall, the first one when you enter. Setting the folder flat, I scan the documents enclosed inside. Most are old, about the tests they conducted before, genetics, cell change, the prints for the failed containment center and prints for a new one, jeez no wonder why Kakuzawa only gave me a day. I guess he didn't figure I'd find my file by then. I snatch the new plans and fold it, stuffing it in one of my pockets. I continue flipping through, not finding much. I'm about to just shut the file and throw it back when I see an old picture; a part of my classroom photo. I lift it up and see it's centered on me, two of the three boys' heads popping out from the bottom. I shove that in my pocket and see another page, this one obviously new. I lift up a huge stack of papers and pick up a picture of me with Jade at thirteen, both of us with snow cones and standing in front of a fountain, hanging on each other's shoulders side to side. Our grins are wide and open, Junco and Chi waving from the background and Mom and Dad in the fountain from falling. I smile at the memory and pocket that as well, looking down at a paper of elegant handwriting.

**Kaede L. Manitou**

_Kaede is the daughter of Mao Manitou and Mai Abu. Mao is the brother of Maki Manitou, the father of the Queen of Gem Blossoms. Mai was in an accident when she was able to see one of her twin's vectors, this being Kaede, and stumbled backwards, pushing out a four story window. She didn't die, but suffered permanent brain trauma. Mao was defending his daughter while Kaede was nine when a drunkard broke in with Maki visiting, Mao shot and dying two days later. Being the careful person he was, Mao always wrote a will when he changed his mind, the last draft saying he left his twins, Kaede Lucia Manitou and Kish 'Save' Manitou. Later discovered, Mao was infected by a Gem Blossom and produced one of his own. It is said for Kish to have died, but only Kaede will be able to tell. _

_Report by Y. M. M. _

I'm sitting here, blinking. So I didn't kill my parents. I have a twin named Kish. I'm Jade's cousin. Jade infected my dad and therefore made another Gem Blossom. Is it possible some of the effects went to me? Well, I'm not really near a Gem Blossom now am I? I turn in my seat, screaming filling the room. Jade is covering her mouth and staring at her file in fright. I jump up and run over, taking the file and reading the passage that scared her so much.

**Jade G. Manitou**

Jade is the daughter of Maki Manitou and Yuko Mani. Jade is the only living natural Gem Blossom and rumored to be the only one.

I stop there, seeing she's gripping another paper. I pluck it out of her fingers and see her at a probable age eight, her face all scratched up and dirt seeping into said cuts. In her hands is a pile of what looks like cranberry sauce and she's standing next to a man that looks just like Maki save for the different glasses and his eyes were brown. He has two girls with him, both with pink hair, one with red looking eyes and the other with pink. The red eyed one has a short bob of hair with horns, and the other has long hair and a faint pink sparkling on her arm. The girls are smiling, but that's not what's alarming; there's a man with a bottle and a rifle storming inside the door, the face extremely blurry. Obviously, this was after Jade's birthday while my twin and I were seven. I turn to her and set her down gradually, showing her my file. I glance at the gray walls and watch as the door opens to my aunt, smiling at all the files. My sister is out there, but my other sister is right here with me. I smile and look at the picture again. Something about her is strangely familiar…


	8. Reunions

_Reunions_

I yawn after we return all the files we borrowed. Jade sleeps under my bed, for what reason I have no idea. Amber is silently reading to her bunny, which even I have to admit is flat out adorable. I bury my legs under the heavy sheets that make me sweat so much I've lost two pounds last night, thinking about the changes the facility has. I mean, are they trying out to be a hotel or what? I shake my head and rake my fingers through my pink bob, staring down blankly at the gray lake of steel wool. I feel soft fabric rub against my arm and feel the bed shift as someone climbs up next to me. I shift my irises alone to the far left to see little Amber, her bunny hugging my arm. I have to admit, it is pretty cute, but the fact she's over here tells me something's wrong. I drop my hand and twist my head to face her.

"What's up?" I ask.

I can see her smile clear, but the look in her eyes is sad. "Can Rigs and I sleep with you tonight, Lucy?" she wonders. "Rigs heard some rumor from someone and now he's scared."

She should've just added: '_Translating to: I'm scared out of my F*CKING mind'_, just because it's _that obvious_. I nod and we lie on the bed, staring up at the gray ceiling. To me, every brick is just another ten to twenty pounds of pure imprisonment. To Amber, it's probably the most colorless thing in the world next to water. I feel 'Rigs' hug my arm and Amber 'follow' his example, nestling her head into my arm. I shut my eyes, my spine aching and my limbs feeling like dung bells. Of course, the sleep is down right awful because of the bed and the constant thoughts of my family. Technically, I caused my real mom to have trauma because of that whole vector bus and my dad was defending my sis and I, so…wait, why am I trying to put the blame all on _me?_ What sense does that make if any?

The next morning comes, and Jade is shaking me like crazy. "Jade stop, you'll wake up Amber and Rigs."

"THAT'S THE THING!" she screams. "THEY'RE GONE!"

I pop my eyes open and shoot up. She, sadly, is right. Amber is not next to me, obviously not under the beds since Jade was under mine and Amber's is flipped over, and everything else is pretty much air, so yep, we're in trouble. I fling myself off of the bed and ram into the door with my shoulder, something Jade apparently didn't have the sense to do. The door blows off and slams into the opposite wall, alarming the soldiers since I'm not even using my vectors. I run out and dodge the bullets, last night's dose of medication not wearing out. Jade follows quickly after, using her fan to block each steel round. We skid at the first corner and push against the wall to take the left turn. As we near the labs, Jade's back begins to lurch for some odd reason. She winces and shuts her fan, slamming the block of thin wood slits against the lurching. She stops and I stop as well.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

We stand there for a minute, ultimately realizing how far ahead we were of the soldiers. The sirens start to wail, but Jade is just looking down. She reaches up for the snake and pulls it out, her jade hair tumbling all around her head as a shield for her face. I hear a rip and stare at her back as I see her shirt somehow torn at the back. Her right hand clutches the snake while her left hand clutches her fan, the left arm still in the position it used to hit her back. She drops the left arm to her side, the fan slipping from her grasp. I raise a brow and begin to hear the soldiers once more. I wrap my fingers around her elbow and tug, but she won't budge. I yank it next, still won't. I pull at it with half of my might, and she's glued to the floor. The soldiers arrive, aiming at us with machine guns. A gust of wind comes along, scaring the soldiers and alarming _me. _Want to know why it's alarming _me_? One question: _since when is there air underground? _Jade's hair parts at her mouth and I see a fang smirk. Ah CR*P. I gulp and take a few steps back, walking right into a muzzle. I glare back at them and jerk a thumb at Jade.

"You might want to run," I inform.

Jade snaps her face up at the immediate end of my sentence, hissing and Blossom pulsating. Her fingers once curled around the snake and fan drop the two objects, momentarily point straight down, and, palm down, bend up at the knuckles and down at the middle of the fingers. She hunches into offensive position and lurches at the soldier behind me. I quickly side-step and she slams him into the floor, clawing his face off. Soldiers shoot, but I pick up her fan and swat them away, my other hand with the snake. The snake's round green eyes start to shimmer, the mouth somehow opening and the fangs, I see, are colored with rubies. I look back at Jade for a second, seeing her back bleeding and something making it's way out of the spine. I cringe at the possibility of pain and turn back.

"Look, we want to find Amber!" I scream through the fifteenth wave of rounds. A soldier, about my age sadly, lowers his guns.

"Lab Two," he smiles.

I nod and grab Jade by the back of the neckline, running and swatting away bullets. She smiles her fan smirk and plucks the fan from my fingers, turning to the troops and shutting it, reopening it at sixty degrees. She aims it to her right and jerks it up, shutting it. A sudden force of a tsunami comes from behind us and blows the soldiers back, snapping some of their necks as they collide into walls. The soldier my age thankfully survives, yet he catches up somehow. I smile and he nods, trying to 'escort' us so the facility would think the 'situation' was contained. We slow down and he continues to point the gun down, nicer than the rest. We reach Lab Three and now Lab Two. I hear screaming and yank the knob hard, tearing it off. Jade jerks from my grasp and shrinks her fangs to the point where it just looks like slanted teeth. She pulls her hair back up and the snake closes its ruby mouth, the eyes reducing their shine. Her claws reduce to nails and she straightens, staring at the knob in my hand. I shove my ear against the door.

"STOP IT! PLEASE STOP!" I hear Nana scream.

I gasp and grit my teeth, walking backwards to the opposite wall and ramming the door hard, a large crack symbolizing the dislocation of my shoulder. I grunt and jerk it back into proper position, staring at the soldier and holding out a hand. He gulps and hands me the machine gun, a bit smarter than the others apparently. I aim it for the hinges and shoot two rounds into each, returning the gun and kicking the door down. On the white floor, Nana is there, naked and her arms and legs are detached. The soldier yelps and covers his eyes, obviously one for privacy. He's a good guy I have to admit that. Nana spots me and smiles.

"Lu-I mean Nyuu!" she stops herself.

"It's Lucy," I correct.

"Oh, then Lucy!" she laughs at herself.

I glare at the same soldier that pushed Chi down. I see something other than a machine gun in his left hand and squint. Jade gasps, obviously recognizing it and immediately shields my eyes. "HEY!" I grit my teeth. "JADE!"

I pry her fingers off and she bites her lip, obviously knowing I wasn't going to like the sight. I step closer and he, with his right hand, aims a machine gun at me. "Take one step closer and I'll blow your F*CKING head off," he growls.

I squint at the left hand and gasp. I see blood soaked stuffing, and not the Thanksgiving side dish. My eyes widen and I turn my head slightly to see a blurry figure, the color of amber barely visible through the tears. My jaw drops and my eyes feel like they're going to pop out of my skull, staring where it'd look like I'm staring at the soldier's leg. My breathing grows heavy, my lungs weighing my legs down causing the knees to buckle. My arms are limp, my hands clutching the sides of the pants. My eyes grow wider with even more realization and my breathing turns to panting, panicky and sorrowful. The soldier cocks the gun and I stare up, releasing the hold on my pants and my legs unbuckling, resulting in both leaning to the right and slamming my side into the steel wall. I widen my eyes more as my panting quickens. Scientists start to come through, Mom not among them. I stare at Amber once more and try to wipe away the tears, wanting to make sure to see if Amber was still alive, just maybe…No chance, her head was lopped off by bullets, eyes wide and her hand outstretched for something that was no longer there. I squint back at the right and scream; Rigs. The scientists jerk back, frightened, and I look down, shaking with anger and fear.

"Didn't we say NOT to kill her?" a scientist whispers.

I scream and blow the jerks F*CKING head off. The scientists scramble for the door, but I jam it. The soldier next to me rushes for a wall and punches a tile, the tile falling off and allowing him to pull out a first aid kit, if that'd help. He rushes to Amber and gives a quick inspection of the 'neck'. I take a second look and see the spine is still connected, the breathing tube slightly damaged, and the veins just stretched, the skin the only thing gone with bullets. D*m tears always blurring my vision. Jade pats my shoulder and starts insuring the scientist in some rushed mumble jumbo. I keep the panic panting, staring at the cold floor. Jade then remembers Nana and rushes to gather her limbs, attaching the right arm and Nana attaching the legs with that, Jade and Nana both having difficulties rediscovering the left arm. I allow my vectors to roam about, stretching and banging into the walls to get a numb feeling out. I see one of the scientists clutching something behind their back and grip it with a vector, yanking it out along with their right arm. The male screams and covers his bleeding stump, the soldier clearing his throat for their attention. They turn in fright, covering their necks to make sure they wouldn't twist off or something like that.

"This girl is barely living, we need to get her to a hospital and fast," the soldier informs.

I jerk open the door and the scientists rush in, one calling the medical team for urgency. Jade sees my expression and rushes to find Nana's arm, only resulting in slipping on it. The arm slams into my left ankle and I pick it up, offering it back to Nana. She smiles and snaps it back on. I pick up Rigs' remains and start running out of the lab with Jade and Nana. We dodge soldiers and guards by ducking into side halls, eventually reaching Amber and my cell, plopping onto the floor in fatigue. I stare at Rigs as the stuffing is like blood, pouring out in numerous amounts. I start to sob uncontrollably and Nana and Jade pat my back to comfort me. I shouldn't cry, Amber was going to be alright, they're taking her to the hospital now, huh? That's what they said, right? I think about it hard and realize something; Nana wasn't with the others. I clutch Rigs in my hand and run back out, Nana and Jade following. I wipe boiling tears from my red-pink orbs, the hall blurring right in front of me. I see pink hair and a heart retching sob comes out of my throat. I skid to a stop and slam into a wall, banging my fist hard against it once.

"SAVIOR," I cry, "IF YOU'RE SO GREAT, SAVE AMBER!"

She blinks and keeps walking, something trying to break out of her back. Jade feels at her own back and winces as it lurches again, the ripping of her skin slight. Savior stops in front of me and turns, pointing down the hall. I run over there, hearing someone scream, and skid to a stop, grabbing a knob for support and end up ripping the door clean off. I cringe at the sight of Mayu and Yuka, bleeding and Mayu's left arm turned inside out, then turn to see Savior behind me, carrying a small kit of needles. I guess she can't get this job done with simple powers. Kota is struggling to stand against the farthest wall, the twisted leg and bleeding arms proof enough. I rush over and help him up, the tears just leaking through soundless. Savior works on the arm and one of the soldiers aims his machine gun at me.

"Hey, you're supposed to be in your cell," he growls.

I don't bother to fight. Savior stops her work and glances at him, her eyebrows furrowed and the threads with needles slightly hiding under her skin. "Shut up and let her be out, as*," a voice rings around her, yet her mouth doesn't move.

"Would you cut that out? It's disturbing," Jade sighs as she helps Yuka to her own feet.

"Hey, look into the mirror and if you're still satisfied with being a natural Gem Blossom, then you can criticize my methods, got that Jade?"

I blink. "Huh?"

Jade looks over at me, "it's complicated."

"How complicated can one thing be?" Kota chuckles at the slight joke.

Savior finishes with Mayu's arm and stands, facing me. "Take care, Lucia."

I raise a brow. Only Jade ever called me Lucia…oh yeah, the presents. When Silver's gift exploded, it was from Savior, not from Jade. Savior…I gasp.

"Holy SH*t…" I blink, and then feel a machine gun poke my stomach hard, making me crouch down and drop Kota, good thing he keeps his balance.

I wince and look up to Bando, that soldier that had his eyes…let's just say he had to get new ones, mostly since on an empty stomach, I get sick easy. I also ripped off his right arm, and let's just say ruined his life, K? He laughs and Savior freezes in the doorway, her back lurching continuously. She winces, the first time I ever saw her do that. I squint and her mouth starts to open up, her jaw glowing under her muscles and skin. I stand up and kick Bando up the chin, standing and running over to Savior, or should I say…

"Kish, hello, stay with me here," I rush.

She stares at me. "Huh, so you aren't stupid after all," she jokes, her jaw now moving in unison with her voice. I roll my eyes, patting her back and screaming when something shoots out and goes through my hand. I yank it off and cover the palm, where the newly formed hole is. "Sorry!" she squeaks.

I roll my eyes again and blink when I see three spikes coming out of her spine, something pulling them out. I squint to see vectors, at least ten of them. "Holy SH*t what are you?"

"Love it how you call me a what," she snaps.

"Sorry, who are you?"

"I'm a Gem Clone, or half and half," she winces as the spikes are pulled out farther. "Being your twin does that to a person."

"What about the spikes?" I raise a brow. She points to the Blossom and squint, seeing it take the shape of the same old cross, but something's different; they're horns on it. "Instead of Diclonius horns, you get-"

"Spikes, large nasty spikes," she finishes.

Jade exits the room, giving me that look saying that I need to get out, and I follow all of them, Kish staying. Bando tries to run out, but a bone-like arm smacks him back. Kish runs out and slams the door with a spike, the spike in the shape of an arm. Jade looks back and chuckles at some thought she has. "What do you call those things, sis?"

I smile. At least Jade's accepting my twin as a sister. "Marrow," Kish replies, "it came up to me in a dream."

We keep heading down the halls, Kish healing the others as best as she can while running. Soon, we all slam into the door of the cell, a little bunny corpse clutched in a girl's hands at the other side. I squint to see the color of amber, which I smile. I look up at Kish.

"You work fast," I state.

She stares at me. "What're you talking about? It took me two hours to get her healthy."

I blink. Two hours? Imagine how long I've really been stuck here!


	9. Intervened Plans

_Intervened Plans_

Lunch next day is a bit loud. Kish covers her ears securely, staring worriedly at the other crying Diclonius and Gem Blossoms, the one that fancies Chi also silently crying. Today was inspections, and that's going to be hard. I see a little Diclonius cry loudly, bringing a guard over and lop his head clean off. Of course, them shooting her right on the spot might be a bit of an overdose. Gem Blossoms and Diclonius alike start to panic, screaming and only Bando shooting a machine gun in the air will quiet them.

"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BRATS!" he roars, every Diclonius hiding behind Kish and me, some realizing Kish wasn't me and then run behind me, the rest quickly following. The Gem Blossoms run behind Jade, making her blink and stare at the forty something five-thirteen-year-olds. Amber, instead of hiding behind Jade, hides behind Kish.

"I don't want her to be lonely," she explains to Rigs.

Bando shoots her leg. "I thought I said shut it!"

I growl and push him hard into the cafeteria door with a vector. "Oops."

He rubs the back of his head and Kish quickly heals Amber, Amber looking up at me and holding up Rigs. I guess she wanted to show that he was fine, since it took me what felt like a Gad-d*m month to fix him. I smile and nod, allowing her to clutch the bunny to her chest and hum 'Mockingbird' silently. Bando pushes himself up and glares, aiming the machine gun for my head. I roll my eyes and sweep it away, some scientists sheepishly walking up. I move my vectors to push them away, but Jade, Amber, and Kish all shake their heads slightly as if they want me to do it later. Fine, as long as I kick his sorry as* soon.

Later tonight, I sit up on my bed, my feet on the ground, legs over the bed and my as* planted on the bed. I shift my feet randomly, waiting for anything from Amber, since she's not to be seen for the mean time. The fact she's not here is enough to make my stomach twist into multiple knots, the other fact that Kota and the rest are silent in the cell next to me makes my head spin with nervousness. I stand and walk over to the door, peering out the window to the guards and the peering faces of several Gem Blossoms. I sigh and look up the back gray wall, frowning slightly. It sucks, not being able to see the sun or experience the outside. I know this from years of hard experience, an experience well spent in this He** hole and in that orphanage, doomed to live in captivity in both. The former, well, that was probably the worst torture, and with this facility, that's a HUGE statement. I bite my lip with frustration and kick the door; clenching my fists tightly and I start scratching the surface with claws, angry, furious, and filled with absolute rage. You probably don't know what it's like, being cooped up in a gray building that forces claustrophobia unless you've been to A) here, B) prison, and C) an asylum. Any other examples are vague since I'm so d*m angry, you know?

The door opens and I rush through, tackling Kota. "Whoa, easy Lucy!" he gasps, all the wind nearly knocked out of his lungs. "Jade wants you to come to the cafeteria. It's urgent apparently."

I look around, seeing the hall void of guards and any other means of life. Amber and Liz walk down the other side, opening doors and telling them the same exact thing Kota told me. I nod and start knocking on doors, the Diclonius and Gem Blossoms coming out and listening to my directions to go to the cafeteria. Most nod while a few I have to drag behind me, and the rest (one or three) are sleeping, so the others that are cooperative pick them up and follow. I walk past many doors, all of which contain people under twenty with dreary bags under their eyes. I'm not paying that much attention though, since I'm trying to figure out why Kish is shorter for her age. Maybe that's just how it went. Yeah, it has nothing to do with her somehow forming into gelatinous goop that the scientists picked up and used a whole bunch of wacky machines to make her 3D again, which I guess ended up dislocating her jaw. Like I said, it's a mere guess, but there can always be some hidden link I have no clue about. Who knows, maybe I'm actually telepathic and some whack job preparation or ritual will next awaken my 'telepathic powers'.

A little eight-year-old Gem Blossom opens the door for all of us, the clomping of both Chi's and Kota's crutches reaching my ears. Mabel rolls in with her wheelchair and Kish runs in, tackling my neck from behind and causing a short bit of laughter from me. She releases it and pats the area between my horns. Oh yeah, that reminds me…

"Kish," I call, "where'd you get this bone glue ribbon?"

She turns and smiles. "EBay, duh, it has everything!"

I hear Jade behind me stifle a laugh. Jade pats my back and smiles, leading me to the bench we always sit at for lunch, the one pushed up against the back wall. I walk on top of it along with Jade and we face the crowd as they move tables to the walls, most blockading the door and the chairs so everyone gets a seat. Jade clears her throat and everyone stares at her, not excluding me.

"So, I know it's late," she sighs, "but that's the perfect time to state the obvious away from the guards…we need to get out."

The crowd whispers in excitement. We're getting out? That's great! But why does she look so solemn all of a sudden? I mean, this is great news! Unless…the director has some new toy he wants to test on us. I gulp slightly and motion her to continue, her snake figure staring at me with those black beady eyes. She nods and faces the crowd once more, arms spread to motion them all.

"All of you want freedom, I presume," she sighs, "but I'm sorry to say that's not as easy. Kish here, or Savior to a few and Opal to most of you, she was over tired and…"

I gasp. "She healed something, did she?"

Kish shakes her head. "No, I resurrected."

I blink and turn to her, seeing her now standing on the table with us on my right. "How can you…never mind," I sigh.

Jade clears her throat once more. "Anyways, the resurrection brought along, kids who don't like cussing cover your ears," most of them do, making her sigh when that's three quarters of the room, "UN COVER YOUR EARS! It brought along a…" she hesitates, thinking of proper, yet nasty words, "…mean freak of nature that looks like her," which she points at me.

I blink, and then laugh. "Freak of nature, huh sis?"

She sighs, her back slumping. "I mean the seven-eight-year-old Diclonius with a load of vectors."

I gulp. Mariko… "How…How the…" I take a deep breath. "Okay, so we just need to get the controls."

Everyone but Nana raises a brow. "What controls?" all the confused wonder aloud.

Nana comes up, stepping in between Kish and me. "The controls to a bomb implanted inside this mean person named Mariko. We can detonate it and she'll be gone for good, unless someone doesn't resurrect her again…"

I whack her upside the head and she falls on her stomach, scowling at me. I roll my eyes and face the crowd, seeing their expressions of fear and uncertainty. I sigh and hold up my hands. "We can't stay here and let them win, guys. This is a matter of life and death because if we stay here, we will end up committing suicide, dying from their tests, or worse, grow up here and become some weapon against humans!" Everyone stiffens, seeing tears roll down my cheeks from the memories and the feeling I got when Amber was gone, since she was just as human as Kota in my eyes. "We can't let them keep this torture up, since honestly we can't just stop producing. We have to end this lab, this facility. That's when we'll take you all somewhere you can live, be happy, be _free_."

Most of them tear up, Yuka sadly included. Jade and Kish pat my back and we hear a thick thump from the other side of the blockaded door. Gulp. Something strong is on the other side, and that's obvious. Everyone moves to the back table, vectors and abilities all coming out. I glare at the metal doors, seeing the dents form from more than bullets, more than vectors, more than anything I've seen. My vectors reach out far above me, reaching to their limit of two meters approximately. Amber gulps and hugs Rigs tightly, her amber orbs glowing brightly. Jade's back pulsates to the rhythm of her arm. Kish's Blossom is nice and bright, her spikes shooting out and her vectors revealing. I lean in next to her.

"How much Marrow do you have and how many vectors?" I ask.

"I have ten Marrows, three painful enough and ten vectors," she answers, obviously trying with all her might to push the rest of the Marrow out. I pat her back hard and at least five sprung out, making the total now eight.

As her wince takes to existence, the door gains a new hole, lined with a huge jaw bite mark. Amber screams, Nana freaks, and Yuka clings to the edge of the table in front of the wall. "It's Sapphire!"

The hole grows, blue hair revealed. Sapphire appears through, toothy grin wide and bloody with cranberry-sauce like blood. That's NEVER a good sign, people. Sapphire keeps ripping at the metal, vectors banging against it and bullets striking it hard. Amber clutches Rigs tighter, that's when I set a hand on her shoulder. She looks up, eyes tearing and fearful for the battle known to come.

"I'm scared, Lucy!" she squeaks, several tears flowing.

I smile at her weakly. "You're strong Amber, don't forget that."

She smiles and nods, Rigs nodding with her. I face up back at the door, seeing Sapphire grinning madly. I brace myself, ready for attack. Even though we have no idea how to battle everyone in the facility including Sapphire, Silver, and Mariko, we know our goal; get the phone and blow Mariko and anyone around her up to bits. Now, if only they hadn't interrupted our plans, we could get farther than that. The door blows to pieces, vectors and Marrow and other powers spreading to the room, the farthest range so far of all the way to the back of the fleet, which is a LONG way. I glance at Amber, concentrated in keeping her eyes shut and her Blossom glowing like mad. She's good, I have to admit that. I charge and Liz follows, her five vectors of two yards range, a bit shorter, follows the attacks with pursuit. Mariko is at the back, her wheelchair high in the air. Sapphire charges at me, jaws wide open. Jade knocks her down and a flurry of something scaly and green whizzing by. Oh CR*P; Jade is changing, but that's not the worst part, she has large dragon wings all bloody growing out of her back.

Pushing that disturbing fact out of mind, I lop off a few heads here and there, Silver knocking me down and only my vectors and arms tight around her throat prevent her from beating. I grunt and kick her hard in the stomach, her torso lurching upward and being grabbed by a large set of jaws. Sapphire appears, obviously P*SSED over something. "SHE'S MINE TO KILL, HEAR ME?"

"Hey," Jade snarls, "you're fight is with me, NOT MY SISTER!"

I smile lightly. Sapphire screams as Jade once again tackles her, and Kish beats a machine gun into the side of Silver's ribs, slamming her to the floor and caving her nose in with the butt, a bullet whizzing out and hitting some soldier in between the eyes, just like Junco. I frown at the fact and remind myself these were the jerks that burned down Mom and Dad's house, killed Junco, and captured Jade and Kish long ago. I growl under my breath and charge past the soldiers, killing as many as I can while running past. Amber is next to me, smirking as some soldiers explode, Rigs eyes covered. "That's for Mommy and Daddy, B*TCHES."

I stop, staring at her in awe. "Amber?"

She turns to me with a wide smile, "Yes Lucy?"

"Where did you learn that word?"

She smiles wider. "You said it in your sleep!"

I grunt. Of course the kid will say what I say. "Don't say that, okay? It's not nice."

"But they're not nice," she points out.

I blink. "Good point." With that I run towards Mariko, seeing Nana standing in front of the wheelchair. I stop next to her and Mariko cackles like the B*STARD she is (Amber took the word and I'm no copycat).

"I'm glad you're here," she smiles, and then the smile turns maniacal. Her pink eyes widen, her straight pink hair blowing back as if wind was in the sealed up facility. "NOW DIE!"

Vectors come at us, and the clashing of Marrow versus vectors can be heard. I look over to Kish. "GET THE PHONE!"

Nana and I run off, praying Kish and the others will be fine, for me, ESPECIALLY Jade, Kish, Kota, and the others I've grown fond of since eleven to thirteen. I just hope. Bando runs up with a phone in his pocket red just like the other. This is too easy. Maybe…I glare at him and push past him, Nana following. That's not the phone but a fraud to distract me while the other escapes. I won't let that happen, not with my sisters' lives on the line.


	10. Battle

_Battle_

This is a whole pile of F*CKING SH*T. Jade and Kish are still back…there somewhere and Nana and I can't get any F*CKING hints to where that CR*PPY phone is! The halls rattle with the battle far behind us now, my balance on the brink of crumbling. Nana pants next to me, which I understand with the long, murky halls that can make a guy or girl claustrophobic in just five minutes. Our feet slap against the cool metal, the fire alarms being activated by some activity back a ways and setting off the ceiling sprinklers. Damp to the bone and our balance even more difficult to control, we slide into a door with '672' in crayon; Jade's cell. I force open the door with my vectors and find Mom, pressing random buttons which alarm the whole room of three; Nana, Mom, and I. I mean random buttons? Get a manual Mom! Well, I wish it were that easy. Red alarm lights spin in the room. The doors lock themselves. The chambers inside explode or open. The containment center releases spikes through the vertical table. Jeez, what were they trying to do assassinate Jade? No, I would never let them do that. Not to Jade, not to Kish, not to Amber and Liz, not to Kota and Yuka, not to Mabel and Chi, not to Nana or Mom, not any of those who don't deserve such.

"Mom, may I ask what the F*CK YOU'RE DOING?" I panic, hands clutching balls of pink hair off my own head.

She turns, smiling like always. "Honestly, trying to find a way to that phone."

I blink. "You know where the phone is?"

She shakes her head. "One of these creatures was designed to track objects."

"Hopefully it's not any of the exploding ones," Nana mutters.

_That'd _be disaster. Mom giggles. "No, dear, the ones exploding are because they're going to die in several hours without Sapphire or Silver."

I smile. Mom is so nice to everyone. "So, how many are left?"

"Three, but they are all vicious, so I can't really release them to check."

Nana smiles voluntarily. "How can you check them for the ability?"

Mom sighs while her invincible smile is still glued on. "Usually you have to have some wind to calm them down, but I can't get that out of thin air!"

I smirk. "Maybe, or maybe not, Mom, Jade's fan can do that!"

She smiles. "Then one of you has to get that fan, get Jade here, or jet a similar fan."

I volunteer willingly and dash out through the chomping doors. Skidding the turns and skating the moist floor, the trip is somewhat faster to me, but longer to the laws of time. I dig my heel as best as I can to the ground, staring at the battlefield in front of my eyes. Oceans of human blood crash in waves at my feet, explosions and gunfire all sounding, ending with human screams. Jade jumps into the air and slashes at a mass of men surrounding Liz with her fan, the one required. I try to run to her, but Mariko, Silver, and Sapphire come up. Huh, our own little tea party, sipping blood out of skulls and sitting on the dismantled corpses of the soldiers. Mariko laughs maniacally and her vectors fly out, heading for me until Sapphire chomps one of them.

"Who says you get the glory of killing the great _Queen of the Diclonius?_" she snaps through the shark jaws. "We want to rip her head off to!"

Mariko rolls her eyes. "Why should I listen to you two?"

Sapphire's heart is ripped out, but she just smiles, her Blossom pulsating. "Remember who you're messing with, chick."

Mariko rolls her eyes and starts walking the other way. "I want her head when you're done!"

"Alright, let's get it started then, shall we?" Sapphire chuckles while rubbing her hands together, squatting in the sumo fighting stance. "Silver, you go take care of lettuce head."

My face boils with anger. _Nobody calls Jade a lettuce head. _I charge with my vectors while she's turned, snapping the Blossom in half. She screams and sapphires (and I mean the actual gems) pour out are mixed in with actual blood. I slash and rip and tear and shred and bite and claw and roar and scream. Lettuce head is like calling this chick an Easter egg; offensive to the highest extent.

"YOU'RE A BIG-MOUTHED, PRISSY EASTER EGG WHO IS GETTING A GUN TO SHOOT HERSELF WITH FOR CHRISTMAS!"

Okay…so she did not like that one. She lunges with her jaws and clamps them over my right forearm, making my screams ring in the halls and bounce back and forth in rapid strikes found in a canyon. I shake her off, my arm a bleeding mess, and glare, my vectors ignoring the pain and swarm at her. They pick her up and she scratches, bites, anything to get out. I rip her arms off and she screams, slamming steel teeth around a vector. I release and wince. How come she can attack the vectors with so much ease? Does it matter? I have to kill this B*TCH and fast! I slam her against a wall and she sputters out: a jaw, two other teeth, something that looks like turkey, and a nasty puddle of clotted blood. I grab her again and toss her up on the ceiling. She hisses and clamps the jaws into the metal, glaring down at me. Liz notices this and crawls up, slamming one of her five-two yard vectors hard on her side. Sapphire screams and crashes hard into the cool floor, something crashing into my own hip. I crash into a wall and open my scrunched eyes to Silver, her hand in the shape of a hammer. She laughs and it morphs to claws, fangs revealing. She charges, but Jade kicks her hard at the ribcage, her wings beating fast. Silver grunts and slides on the floor until her head strikes the wall. Jade lands and turns to me, fangs smiling. I grunt.

"Mom needs you at '672'," I inform.

She nods and flies off. I need to get Sapphire and Silver out of commission before anyone gets hurt. I look over at Liz to see her running for her life in great progress. I leap in front of her and swat at Sapphire, Silver starting to regain footing. I grunt. Do these people ever F*CKING die? Apparently not unless you have a honking bomb inserted into a person's F*CKING BODY! Sapphire snaps her jaws twice and charges, leaping at me with a fist first, but I seize the fist and twist it hard to one side, dragging her to my right and slamming my foot down on her right. She snarls and bites my right shoulder, making me scream and throw her off with both hands. She slams into a wall and

I cover my wound helplessly. My vectors can't come out in a state of pain, and I'm in that state right now. I grumble some curses and swing my leg up at Silver's jaw when she charges, which she learns from my technique and grabs the ankle, jerking it roughly to the left and heaving me to one side. I dodge before she has the chance to break a rib. Instead, rather painfully I might add, I land behind her and seize her head, slamming it into the wall hard with her nose cracking between the force of the wall and my hands. She kicks back at my knee, making an unpleasant cracking sound and backs her head into my face, which should I mention is EXTREMLY painful. I growl and elbow the side of her neck. Liz runs over and jumps on Silver's back, Silver jerking around to get her off. Liz clings on and winks at me, earning herself one of my nods. I draw out my vectors, their power increasing with my dealings with the pain. I push them towards Silver's neck before Sapphire's jaws meet with my hips. I scream and the vectors vanish. I rip Sapphire off and knee her hard in the ribs, kicking her into the mass of battlefield. Wings appear above me and I see a glop of monster like the one Nyuu fought with Jade against. I sigh. I have my guesses that's the monster with the phone's location. I turn to Silver, pain forgotten when I see Liz dangling, and I snap one of Silver's ankles, making her drop Liz. Amber runs over and slides on the ground, catching Liz perfectly. Amber forces Silver's head to quake, and then it explodes, remains of brain everywhere. I squint, but there aren't any vectors. How does she do that? I shake the thought out and elbow Sapphire in the nose making her widen her eyes. Oh yeah…hitting a shark's nose stuns them! I kick her hard in the neck against the wall and lop her head off with a vector. One more tea party guest must be sought out, forever: Mariko. I turn and she's just loping heads off. Liz stands and Amber winces. I turn to her to see her Blossom steaming and bubbling. Rigs pats her Blossom, which I still have to admit, is adorable, and Amber looks up at with her big amber orbs. I swear people probably explode from the amount of cuteness this girl has!

I charge for Mariko, who predicts my attack and slams me hard against a wall. She laughs and her wheelchair floats over, responded by a loud roar and the sudden rush of heat filling the halls. The ceiling crashes down, a large green scaly head reaching out. I can see the snake figure now being used like a small halo. It's Jade, her form getting out of hand. I kick Mariko's wheelchair down and rush to Kish, multiple places bleeding and her upper lip torn off.

"What's happening?" I ask, screaming through Jade's roars.

"This is the 'defensive stage' for most Gem Blossoms!" Kish replies in strained tones. "Amber has it, but only naturals get it!"

I blink. "Amber's a…"

"Natural Gem Blossom, yes she is, because Jade figured out the off-spring!"

I gap. "How…"

"One of the scientists came too close, so she tested it out!"

I nod gruffly. So the off-spring issue has been terminated, and now only lies the issue of Jade's protective stance. I run towards her and pick up the fan, stopping once I see a fan with green string at the end and yellow flowers with a pink center and green vines and leaves around the slates. I blink and pick it up: _Lucia_. I purse my lips and run forward, scaling a nearby wall and leaping up for the roof, when Mariko slams me into the ground with her twenty-six vectors. I grunt and grab twelve (three vectors in each) and the others I try to grab with my regular hands, which only adds up to a total of thirteen sustained vectors. I roll my eyes and huff, Mariko slamming the rest hard on my body soon after. She pummels me, like when my right horn detached. I thrash and twist and scream and bleed, The fan's gripped hard in my hand. Fire lands in front of Mariko and I look up to Jade, her liquid jade eyes set on us.

"Nobody messes with my sister," a voice growls around her.

I nod and kick up, opening the fans and slicing them towards Mariko, her wheelchair blowing into a wall and a wheel rolling off. She's stuck underneath, panting and furious. Suddenly, the hall grows quiet. No more bullet fire remains, just silent panting and scowling. I look around to victorious Diclonius and Gem Blossoms alike. Amber walks up to Mariko cautiously, kneeing down. I throw my vectors around her to be safe. Liz willingly follows my example and Kish begins to tend to the wounded.

"Mariko…" Amber squeaks, "I might not be like you, but I know what you are doing is wrong."

Mariko stares up at Amber. Mariko's pink orbs grow furious. "What would you know? You're a six-year-old!"

Amber scowls, Rigs also staring at Mariko with the black little marbles for eyes. "Rigs says he doesn't like you're tone, missy!"

Mariko screams. "SEE? SEE? WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOU TALK TO A F*CKING STUFFED TOY?"

Amber starts to ball, Rigs tight to her chest. "He's not a toy!"

"YES HE IS!" Mariko argues. "WHERE'S THE HEARTBEAT HUH?"

Amber starts to cry, but I walk over. Having fixed him myself, I know every part of Rigs, even the parts _I added._ I squeeze the center and hand it to Amber, who stops balling and feels the thumps of the fake heart in his little stuffed chest. She smiles triumphantly and points to the source of the beating. Mariko blinks. Suddenly, the rolling of a tank sounds viciously further down the hall. A missile or _something _comes in contact with the right side of Jade's face, making her eyes widen, her body shrinking down back to normal. She sways and falls down to the ground, limp with a burnt right face. I gasp and run to her, shaking her shoulders.

"Jade!" I cry. "Jade wake up, there's a fight now! Jade! Hey, sis, wake up please! JADE!" I'm sobbing now, shaking harder and harder, the noise growing louder. "JADE! WAKE UP FOR ALL OF US! WAKE UP FOR MOM AND YOUR SIBLINGS! PLEASE JADE, SISTERS FOREVER MEANS YOU CAN'T DIE ON ME! JADE!"

I feel the eyes staring at me, and a wheelchair rolls up. I look up to Mabel, her left eye covered with an eye patch. She cocks a shotgun and points it behind her, shooting at some large body mass of metal. I blink and watch, as a large tank rolls into this hallway. It fires at a large section of children near Amber, the missile disintegrating a foot above. Amber stands and glares at the tank, squeezing Rigs every time the beating stopped.

"Hey," she growls, "you hurt my friend."

The nose of the tank starts to twist round and round, plugging itself it. The exit hatch is jammed and any vents clog up with meting pieces of metal; screaming can easily be heard from out here. Blood splatters on any revealing windows, heat waves visible. Carrots start to sprout up from the metal, which confuses everyone but Amber for a short second. The carrots explain themselves when they explode, following in a chain reaction. Nana runs up a few seconds after, starring at the wreck with Mom soon behind, the phone in hand coated with slim. I hug Jade's shoulders tightly and shake her more, hoping she'd wake up.

"WAKE UP!" I beg. "PLEASE JADE, WE'RE SISTERS FOR LIFE!"

Kish glances over and kneels next to me, placing a hand over Jade's heart. Her Blossom shimmers and a picture appears of a heart, beating extremely fast that it looks like it might die out. This is Jade's heart, and she needs to rest. "The offensive stage is occasionally taken as a last stance," Kish explains. "She was smart enough to stop before her heart exploded."

Amber walks up and places Rigs on Jade's chest, squeezing Rig's stomach and the thump-thump somehow calming down Jade's heart. Rigs pats Jade's head and Amber takes him back up again, rubbing her cheek against the top of the head. Mariko tries to crawl out, but Mom detonates the bomb, her face sad. Mariko gasps, and that's the last we see of Mariko. Dust and ash blow us back, Jade remaining in her place on the floor. I blink at the explosion and look around for several missing faces. Someone taps my shoulder and I turn to Yuka and Mayu.

"We were clearing up the other halls," Mayu explains. "COME ON EVERYONE! THIS WAY TO FREEDOM!"

Everyone smiles and follows, Chi coming up from behind Mayu and grabbing Mariko's wheelchair, the one wheel in a bit of strain. The Gem Blossom smiles and reattaches the wheel, placing Jade in it afterword. I pause. I stare back at Mabel. Her hands look like machinery, and her calf is still missing. They must've added it soon before all of this commotion. She smiles and rolls up.

"You know, I was always jealous of you, even though our time together was short," she admits.

I smile. "Hey, you just wanted to forget the past. There's nothing wrong with that."

We smile at each other and race down the hall. We all reach the door, praying the few of our dead would be praised in Heaven. The ocean breeze blows in our faces, and I stare out at the cliff I used to escape last time. Jade is still asleep, and Mom whistles. A helicopter comes up, Dad in the driver seat. He waves at me.

"Hello Lucy!" he smiles.

I wave back, then run in the passenger seat, hug him, then hop back to allow Mom to sit. I hug both of their necks and sit with my back against the chairs. Kota stumbles in, sitting next to me and Yuka on the other side of me. Nana and Mayu walk around to take account to make sure all the alive are here with us so nobody ends up like Kevin in Home Alone 2:Lost In New York or whatever. I sigh and close my eyes. Peace at last.

**One more chapter!**


	11. Short Epilogue: Five Months Later

_Five Months Later…_

I yawn and get up from the bed, dropping onto the floor. Jade wakes up and pokes me hard in the back, making me turn and launch at her in the bottom bunk. She slips out and runs. "CAN'T CATCH ME LUCIA!"

"WANT A BET ON IT?" I laugh, chasing her down the stairs.

Kish walks out of the dining room, dodging us narrowly. "Behave you two!" she sighs, shaking her head.

I keep chasing her despite what Kish wants. We run outside to find Kota, staring at us. We freeze in our tracks, fists in the air as if we are stuck in a marathon freeze frame, out legs prepared to push the other up. He sighs and pats both of our heads, limping slightly from five months ago. Jade and I stand up properly and sigh. Those times should be over now, and we glance at the door. Grabbing the handles, Jade swings the doors open and Nana runs next to me, carrying a bowl of bird cookies. The three of us run down the steps and across the street at the cross-walk, panting after several blocks in front of the new building. It's not large, maybe five stories, with plenty of windows, a…60x4…240ft. perimeter (or 3600ft2 area), and about…30 rooms, five halls. We walk through the doors and Mabel is sitting at the desk in her wheelchair, filling out paperwork. A couple comes to the desk, a hopping Diclonius with them. They look nice enough, and Jade's Blossom glistens under her sleeve. She nods at Mabel and Mabel looks up, smiling at the three and the couple sitting in front of the desk, the little one drawing on her arm with some stray crayon. Amber runs out, Rigs flopping his ears, and tackles my calves, Liz soon following and tackling Jade's calves. They switch after a silent minute and start running in circles around us. Chi comes out with a cell phone, ordering some food for the children Diclonius and Gem Blossoms here. This is Mom's home and a shelter for any Gem Blossoms and Diclonius that need it. Kish runs through the door, panting like crazy. We stand here, together. The facility is now destroyed, my family has been discovered and the remainder brought together once more. I'm not a freak, despite what those three jerks from the orphanage might say. Jade isn't a freak, despite what that school gang might say. We're not merely objects to be discovered. We are family, we are living beings, we are…Kish, Jade, and I…sisters for life, forever, and for eternity. We smile and hug each others shoulders.

"Thank you, our Father," we pray, "for giving the needy a chance at life."


End file.
